Poser Fashion
by Raven-Leigh
Summary: All good things come to an end. Thanks for your reviews, everyone. They gave me encouragement even when I didn't have time to work on this. Complete.
1. Unleashed

_I don't do many Final Fantasy VII stories, so therefore I thought I ought to get back into it. I'm writing this early in the morning, therefore I don't know if it's going to go good or bust. Bwuahahah. Then again, I don't really care, so mwuah. So, read it or not, I am the Raven and you will succumb to the green cows of purple pastures. BWUAHAHAH! THEY SHALL RUUUUUULE AAAAALL! O.o Now enjoy the fanfic or else. Oh, and R&R!_

The burning sensation in Reno's stomach was probably what woke him up. Sake never was a good at tucking him in at night compared to vodka or some other hard liquor, but he never was picky about which one cradled him until he fell into slumber. The Turk shifted over, his mako tainted gaze falling over the clock that was next to his bed. Damn radio clocks. Aha! It was what had woken him up. With a groan, he reached over and slammed his hand down on the timer, his gloved fingertips sort of slipping off of the clock to drop down to the edge of the bed. Burying his face into the pillow, Reno's red hair flopped down all around him, framing his upper body like a blanket. He didn't want to get up, but there wasn't much of a choice, now was there? Especially with the blonde haired woman glaring at him from the end of the bed.

"Reno, you're absolutely pathetic." He let out an audible groan from the sound of her squeaky voice. "You got slap ass drunk last night, and now you can't even get up out of bed to get the day started. You pathetic bastard!" Elena glared daggers at him as she walked around the bed to stand on the side that the alarm had been on. "GET UP, YOU CLOD!" Elena was always serious about work. Not that it was very unusual for her to be serious about something, it was just highly amusing.

Reno opened one eye and peered up at Elena through his hair. "What'f I dun' wanna get up?"

"You're going to get up, one way or another." As Reno closed his eyes again, he nestled his cheek into his pillow comfortably, groaning softly at the massive headache that hit him like a sledgehammer. "I have ways of getting you up. Ways that are so deadly that you're going to wish you listened to me a lot sooner." Elena always was so deadly in her own irritating manner.

Shoving himself up off of the bed as he felt his stomach lurch, the red-head glared at her. "Who do you think you are, my mama?"

"No, if I was your mama I would've taken a belt to your ass ages ago. What do you think I am, your baby sitter?"

"You're acting like it. I'm a grown man, let me sleep when I want to. Leave me alone, Rookie." Reno gasped as he felt something fiery hot hit him. Or, at least it felt fiery hot until he realized that it was ice cold. The water that Elena had hidden in her hands was dumped all over him, soaking him, his bed and his pillow. He was not happy. "You, heifer, are going to die!" Elena squealed as Reno pushed himself up off of the bed and started to chase her around the room. Around and around the two went, bouncing over furniture and finally coming to a stop when the girl skidded into the bathroom and slammed the door in his face. Reno smacked right into the hardwood door. "You're so going to wish you never became a Turk. I'm going to make you wish you were never BORN!"

Elena's giggles were heard from inside the bathroom. "You look like a wet rat. Go sniff somewhere else, freak. I'm about to take a shower." The click of the lock was very audible to Reno's sensitive ears. He was not pleased about that either.

"'Lena, come out. I need the bathroom."

"Should've thought of that before chasing me in here! Rude'll be back shortly with our breakfast. If he didn't eat it all on the way back here, so settle down and wait for him. Not like it's going to hurt you to wait, you bastard."

Reno growled low in his throat as he bumped his head softly on the door. He quickly regretted it. Now not only was he shivering, but he was tempted to cry from the headache that was trying to pound its way out of his skull. Muttering about blondes and about the curse of Sake at 1 AM in the morning, Reno plopped down on his bed and tried to lay in a section that wasn't wet and cold. Of course, hearing the water from the shower wasn't helping him one bit. Drip, drop, swoosh. Drip, drop, swoosh. It was almost as if Elena was turning the water on and off on purpose. Growling, he writhed around on the bed, finally ignoring the wet covers and pillow. This caused Rude to give him a very odd glance when he happened to come in the door about seven minutes later.

"Reno, why are you laying in a wet bed?"

"Because your dumbass girlfriend threw cold water on me when I was trying to go back to sleep and now that I need in the bathroom, the little whore is in there."

"Oh, that's all? Okay." Rude sat the coffee and food down, eyeing Reno behind his dark shades. He hardly ever took them off, after all. "You expected anything less of Elena?"

"Not really. Cuz she's a cold hearted bitch that would watch me die with much pain and suffering before she gave me any freakin' morphine. She's cooooooold. I don't know how you can stand her, little stupid rookie. Always butting her god damn nose into my business. She's a kid, how come she's with us?"

"Cuz she's a Turk, too. I mean, without three Turks, what would we have? Two turkeys."

Reno glared up at his best friend as the larger man laughed at his own joke. "You bastard. THE WORLD IS HELL BENT ON KILLING ME TODAY, ISN'T IT!" The red-head shoved his face down into the soaked pillow and tried to smother himself into unconsciousness. Too bad nothing ever worked out his way.

Rude patted him on the head and placed a cup of coffee on the bedside stand. "Relax, Reno. We're not here to get drunk, we're here to do a job. I mean, if your dumbass hadn't gotten drunk last night, we wouldn't have missed the guy that was supposed to be in our mitts right now. You know, maybe Elena's a little right. You need to lay off the drinking for awhile."

Reno looked up at him as if he were trying to take his very soul away. "WHAAAAAAAT!" His mako-tinted eyes squinted at Rude a tiny bit, the red scars underneath his cheeks seeming to nearly sink up into his lower eyelids. "Are you fuckin' crazy? She's gotten you into that Vegan shit, hasn't she! SHE'S TAINTED YOU AND I MUST TAKE REVEEEEENGE!" Rude extended a hand and slapped Reno cross-eyed. The red-head fell back against the edge of the bed and took a tumble over the side, landing on his back with a dull thump.

"No, she has not gotten me into that Vegan shit. It just gets kinda tiring when you've got a drunk kid that's picking fights all over the bar when you're trying to nab a guy. Just lay off the drinking for this mission and maybe we can get something done. Afterwards, we'll head to the Turtle's Paradise and get as drunk as you damn well want. Is it a deal?"

Reno shot Rude a glare of doubt, then sighed. "Fine, fine. I stop drinking for this mission, then I'm going to get drunk off my ass afterward. It's a deal, but you're paying."

"I don't care if I pay. Cuz I'm going to be drinking, too. Even though Elena don't approve of it all that much, I find myself not really caring all that much lately." Elena's squeaky voice was heard in the background, kind of yelling at the two to start getting ready. Rude rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "In fact, right about now I wish I was drunk." The two best friends shared a smile as Elena squealed and smacked at Rude's back, trying to get them to get up and get ready.

**Later that morning…**

"This is a stupid crock of shit."

"Oh shut the fuck up and do it, Reno."

"Renny-chan, how do you feel being bait?" Elena smiled at the blushing red-head as she fastened the last bow in his hair. "You look so cute, Reno! Oh my gosh, I'm jealous. You pull that kimono off much better than I do!"

Reno glared pure hate at her. He was supposed to be 'bait' for the mission. Of course, they were trying to catch one of the sleazy drug-lords that happened to like pretty girls. And instead of using the only girl there, (since of course, she might get hurt, though Reno didn't sympathize with her too much) Rude had suggested the idea. The red-head remembered every word that the bald bastard had said.

**Flashback: After Breakfast**

"Elena, you can't possibly hope to get past that ugly son of a bitch and overpower him. I mean, you're good with a gun, but you're not even remotely strong enough. So we're going to have to think of something else."

"Well, Reno, you know I'm probably stronger than you are."

"Highly doubt that, heifer. I mean, c'mon. You're smaller than I am, weaker than I am and younger than I am. It just won't add up to you being able to take him on. He's much too big for you. He would overpower you just by sitting on you. Remember all of those rapes that occurred last year? Yeah… That's what we're going up against, 'Lena, and I dun' think Rude would appreciate lookin' at your slashed face as he sits beside your hospital bed."

Elena raised a brow. "Then what the hell are we going to do?"

Rude smirked as he watched Reno. The red-head had that very delicate look to him that sort of brought out the mako in his eyes. In fact, Rude had sworn many times that Reno looked like a girl when he let his hair down. Rude suddenly got a very bright idea. Stepping forward, he reached out and grasped at the black hair fasten that Reno kept at the base of his neck, holding the wild locks together. He snatched hard, causing Reno to yelp in pain and fall backwards. With a thump, he smacked the floor, but his hair flowed very free, all around him. "I think we just found our girl, 'Lena."

"You don't mean… Oh my… That's evil, Rude. Should we do that?"

"We're the Turks, Elena. We ARE evil, or did you forget?"

"But what if Reno gets hurt?"

"Well then I guess he gets his own ass out of trouble. I mean, he didn't want you to go in and do it. So we can't send you. I'd look like a man in a dress. Reno looks like a girl, so let's feed him to the wolves instead of you."

Reno glared up at him, dazed and kind of stunned. "You bastard! I am NOT dressing up like THAT."

"Eh, you'll do it if you want to continue on our little agreement."

"You're one evil mother fucker."

"Thank you, thank you. That's what I pride myself with, Reno."

**End Flashback**

Reno glared down at the blue kimono that they had dressed him in. It had white puffs of flowers all over it, scattered down his chest and across the belt. "I hate you, Elena."

"Oh shut up and take it like ma-… Like the woman you are." Reno glared daggers at her as she combed his hair and kinda of puffed it out a little bit to look girlish. "Damn, your bangs never lay down, do they?"

"No, no they don't. I prefer them NOT laying down."

"Let's tease them! WHEE!" Reno almost cried as she started to spray hairspray in his hair and primp his gorgeous red locks. "Aww, Reno don't cry. Your makeup might run if you cry when I put mascara and stuff on you. And you won't want that, cuz that stuff gets in your eyes and it burns. Don't want that happening, now do we?" Reno continued to glare pure hate at her as she pulled out a stick of eyeliner and some mascara to match the foundation and powder on the counter. "Rude, don't you think blue would be absolutely beautiful to match his eyes?"

Rude cracked up and burst out laughing at the spectacle.


	2. Help Me

_Hi! Second chapter of the series Poser Fashion here. This chapter is going to be a little more dark. I'm going to be changing the description from humor to angst or tragedy or something. I don't write humor very well, because I'm not a very funny person. Anyway, yes, I write dark fictions because that's what my mood is most of the time. I don't know where this is going, so feel free to offer comments and suggestions. Oh, and R&R!_

"Damn, Reno, if I didn't know you were a guy I might hit on you." Rude grinned down at his red-headed friend as Elena put the final touches on his makeup. Indeed, the poor guy did look like quite the opposite. Reno held his head down as Elena tried to get the last touches of makeup right in the corners. "Now if we can just get her to talk like a girl, or cover up for the fact that she doesn't."

"I have an idea!"

Reno shot her a glare. "Something that doesn't have to do with de-balling me, please."

"But, that's the fun part. We get to make you sing soprano permanently!"

"NO YOU DON'T!" Reno shifted, tried to cover up his crotch, but found that he couldn't move very well in the kimono. "I do NOT want to be female permanently."

"But you would pull it off so well, Renny-chan. I mean, why would you not want to be a fabulous female? We're beautiful and we have soft skin and we're smarter than guys. What's not to love about being a girl?"

"The boobs and everything else that goes along with not having a package and not utilizing it?"

"Shut the fuck up, Rude. Girls are better than guys, and that's final." Elena frowned as Reno started to rub his eyes. "RENO! STOPIT, YOU'RE MESSING YOUR EYESHADOW UP!"

"But it's itchy and I don't like it." He pouted, lowering his head again. "I don't wanna wear makeup, and I don't wanna do this!"

"I don't give a damn. You're going to do it whether you like it or not. You're the only one who can pull it off. I mean, you are the leader of the Turks now. What's better than sacrificing yourself for your own men?"

"Saving my own ass?"

"Well, you'll get more honor for this! Think of the HONOR!"

"Screw honor. Gimme my pants back."

"Quit your whining or you'll be wearing a bra as well. I've never seen a grown man complain as much as you do, you whiny little bitch. Let's just do it and get it over with and then you can climb out of the kimono, wipe the makeup off and be a man again. If you ever were a man to start with, that is."

"Ooooh, low blow, 'Lena." Rude grinned and patted Reno on top of the head. The blue bows stood out particularly well from his teased hair. Reno looked genuinely miserable with being dressed in the get up. The sprigs of white puffy flowers on the kimono stood out, the blue of the background blending in with the mako that shone in his eyes. "Reno, stop pouting. Your lip would be dragging the ground if it was long enough. We're not going to let anything happen to you. Just know that we're going to be there and no one is going to bother you, little bro." He patted Reno again, who whimpered.

"Stop petting her. You're going to mess her hair up."

"I'M NOT A HER, GOD DAMNIT!"

**Later that evening…**

"Okay, here's the plan." Rude was balling his hands into fists, then unballing them to have something to do. He was taking over leadership temporarily while Reno was going to be the bait for the mission. "We plant Reno down there. Her name is now Renny, until she takes the kimono off. We're going to let Reno post as a prostitute that's looking for work, and she's going to meet up with the drugster. Before the guy snatches Renny, we're going to be sure to drop him. You're going to find out some information about where he stashes his drugs and when he buys his stock. Also try to find out who he buys them from. Understand, Elena?"

She was still messing with the bows in Reno's hair. "Yeah, I hear ya. We drop him….where?"

"We need to drop him. I don't care where you shoot him, just as long as you don't kill him. We're going for wounded here, not kill. Rufus wants him alive, remember?"

"Why're we listening to a little snot nosed brat?" Reno tried to swat Elena's hands away from his face.

"Because he's our boss, Ren. The last I checked, if we didn't do what our boss said, we would be out of a job. And that would be all we needed, because then you would be back on the streets of the slums polluting the women and I would be back in Wutai trying to drown myself in Sake."

"Doesn't sound so bad right about now, does it? I mean, in the slums I didn't have to work, didn't have to think, didn't have to take baths, didn't have to do anything but take my drugs like a happy little crack fiend and lure the girls away from their fathers."

"You're creepy, Reno."

"Well, telling the truth. Life is easier in the slums than it is working for ShinRa."

"But that's why we're working for ShinRa. Else you would be dead in the slums from a drug overdose, you crack-headed bastard."

"Bah. Excuses, excuses. Listen, are we going to do this or not?" Reno glared down at the street they were standing over. "Cuz if we aren't, then you need to get this shit off of me and get me back home where I can watch the Chocobo Races or something."

"Yeah, we're going to do this. The guy is known to come around these parts to make deals and meet pretty ladies around thirty minutes from now. We don't know when he's going to arrive precisely, so you have to be on the lookout for him. He's almost like Don Corneo, only he's supposed to be a little bit sleazier and a bit more violent."

"I didn't know anyone could get as sleazy as Corneo. Hell, I thought he was the limit of ugly, too."

"I didn't say the guy topped Corneo on the ugliness chart, I just said he was more of a scumbag."

"Well doesn't that just make sense, eh?"

"Renny, do you want me to be your pimp, or Rude?"

Reno glared at the girl, murder shining in his eyes. "I'll kill you. I swear, I'm going to kill your ass before this job is over with."

Rude chuckled. "Well, I guess Elena's going to be your pimp, since I've gotta keep a look out with the sniper rifle."

"Oh good, then I get to watch Renny up close and explain why she can't talk. And Renny-chan isn't going to talk, unless she wants a foot up her ass or a swift kick to the nuts. This job is going to be hard, and we don't need you fucking it up like you do every other one."

"I'm not going to talk to the bastard. Just get me in and out safe, that's all I ask. Then I want a bottle of Sake. Am I going to die?" He frowned and looked up at Rude, questioning.

Rude shook his head, tipping his sunglasses up to look at Reno. "No, you're not going to die. You won't even get raped, I don't think. The guy isn't into other guys, I hope. Well, I don't actually know, so we'll find out today if something doesn't go right, won't we?"

Reno paled. "Whaaaaa? What if that bastard is into guys? WHAT IF HE STEALS ME, YOU DUMBASS?" Elena started to giggle. "I don't wanna be a rape victim! Why can't you send your girlfriend if you're really thinking that I'm not going to overpower him directly?"

"Because you make better bait. I mean, you're skinnier and you're taller. You could be a model, Reno, if it wasn't for the Adam's apple."

"I hate you with a passion, you bastard."

"I know you do. Let's get into position, why don't we?"

Elena took Reno's hand and tugged him toward the end of the street. It was one of the abandoned and cracked highways that used to frequent through those parts of the slums. The crumbling concrete served as a challenge for Reno to climb down, as the kimono he had on wasn't cooperating very well with him. Elena reached up and helped Reno down as best she could, but he still almost fell flat on his face several times. "That's it. Just take it slow. Remember, we're going to look out for you, nothing's going to happen, Renny."

Reno shot her a glare. "Remember, if anything does, it'll be your ass."

Elena smiled brightly. "Not before he gets yours, rest assured." Reno groaned at the irony.

**Thirty minutes later…**

The rain started to stream down hard as Reno pressed his back against the brick wall. The hole in the plate above allowed the sky to peek through above the concrete and pour rain down into the slums where it was much needed. Staring up at the sky, he was reminded sharply of his younger days in the slums. It was always cold, and never a dull moment. He was always guaranteed an interesting day, simply for the fact that he was one of the more interesting people. He was even more interesting at that time. The sad glimmer that seemed to be carried in the eyes of those that had a history of drug use was present in his eyes, and as Elena watched him she almost felt bad for dressing him up the way she did. Though, he really did make a very pretty girl. The rain was soaking Rude, who was laying out on the fractured highway above them, sniper rifle at the ready. Everything was dark at the time, the unexpected clouds and precipitation catching all three members of the lethal Turks off guard.

The soft clicking of boots was heard above the rainfall as a very fat man limped out into sight. The pale and pasty features of one of the drug lords of the slums was immediately noticed by Elena. She had never seen so many scumbags until she moved to Midgar, but she figured she would've been used to the sight by then. She was wrong. The guy wore garish clothing, making loud seem like an understatement. The pink, pinstriped pants were offset by the bright orange pleather shoes that he wore on his feet. Carrying a green cane, his blazer and undershirt matched it. By no means did he look stylish, but he was immediately noticed by Rude, who trained his aim on him. He was approaching Reno and Elena at a very paced set of steps. Limp, step, step, limp. Step, step, limp, step, step. Reno shuddered as he imagined a guy like that overpowering him.

As gaudy as his get up was, the man was known as one of the most powerful men in the slums, and he had his eye set on Reno and Elena. "Good ev'nin'!"

Elena nodded to him, trying to look tough. She just managed to look very amused by his outfit. "Good afternoon! May I interest you in a purchase, my good sir?" Reno's eye almost twitched as she introduced the proposition like that.

"Hmmm… What are you lookin' to sell, purty lady?" The man moved closer, the scent of onions and screamingly loud cologne wafting around him. Reno almost gagged at the thought. "My my, if you're sellin' that purty little buttercup, she looks like she might just fit the bill of what I'ma lookin' for t'day."

Elena had to force a smile on her face. "Yes sir. This is my friend, Renny. She's looking to get some extra money here today. Uhmm, we'll take two hundred gil."

"Ah, lemme see, lemme see.." The guy moved dangerously close to Reno and stared him right in the eyes. Reno looked like a deer in the headlights as he moved back to keep the guy from touching him. He felt a genuine shudder of fear go up his spine, unlike anything that had ever gone through him before. The guy was too nice, nice like the guys that his father used to take him around. "Mighty purty face she's got on her. How ol' is she?"

"Erm, she's nineteen." Reno pulled that one off very well. Most people mistaked him to be around seventeen or eighteen anyway.

"Nice, ver' nice." He reached out and placed a thumb and forefinger around Reno's face, cupping his chin lightly in his palm. The guy's hand was sweaty and clammy, made Reno want to pull away. "Wha's her name 'gain?"

"Renny. Her name is Renny.." Elena could tell how scared Reno was. It was practically coming off of him in waves. He was unarmed and wasn't really able to fight that well in the kimono. She knew that he was defenseless should Rude miss the shot or something should go wrong. "Uhm, could I ask you about some propositions?"

The guy was still looking Reno over, brushing a thumb over his cheekbone as he listened to Elena. "Wha typa propositions, littl' lady?" The guy looked more interested in the proposition he was about to buy from Elena. He shifted and brought Reno a little closer, which caused the red-head to shift and try to pull away. He snatched him forward, though, kind of roughly. "Oooh, feisty."

"Heh, yeah. The type of proposition I'm talking about is of your normal wares."

"Oh, you want that typ'a prop. Well, I s'pose we could arrange somethin' in exchange for this pretty little spec'men."

Elena tilted her head. "Exchange? Whoa, wait… She's not for exchange."

"Honey babe, she for exchange now. I take da offer." Reno's eyes widened as the guy's hand gripped around his wrist. "You can go ta my warehouse 'n' pick up your goods. Right now, me and this littl' beaut is goin' ta play." Reno shuddered as the guy pulled him closer and ran a hand through his hair. He felt violated already, as if he was covered with slime. "An' iff'n she ain't up ta par, you won' see her 'gain, nor you ain't gonna see your stuff. Jus' a precaution from normal folk that try ta cheat me. Ya can't cheat da cheater, baby." Reno gasped as the guy gripped him tightly. He whimpered when he felt pain shoot through his body from the guy squeezing him so tightly.

Elena was panicking. Rude aimed the rifle at the guy's side, perhaps to drop him. However, he couldn't get a clear shot, Reno held protectively to the guy's middle. He was forced to watch as the guy sort of drug Reno toward the edge of the building and disappeared behind it. Elena simply freaked. Rude took off toward the edge of the concrete highway, jumping down the edge of it and landing with a thud, rifle still in hand. "Which way did he go when he rounded the corner, Elena?"

Elena shook her head and kind of stared at where they'd disappeared. "I don't know! I just… What if he gets hurt, Rude? Oh my god, he doesn't have a weapon, Rude!" She was practically freaking out, shaking her head and staring at the ground. "It's going to be my fault! I didn't mean for him to get snatched, but the guy was acting really strange, like he knew what was going on. I've never done anything like this!" She burst into tears on the spot at the thought of Reno dying. "What if the guy kills him? I never meant for this to happen, I swear."

Rude shook his head. "Don't cry over it now, Elena. You played it perfectly; the guy's just an expert at avoiding the law. We have to find Reno and find him now, else we're going to find him dead later on.

Meanwhile, Reno was struggling for all he was worth. Snatching against the guy's iron grip, the small guy didn't have a chance in the world. "Stan' still, bitch!" Reno's world spun out of control when the man's large, beefy hand flashed out and smacked him across the jaw. Blood dripped from his busted lip, the backhand making him stop struggling and kind of go along with the guy. "I got plans for you. Heh. You too purty to spoil righ' now. And if'n that girl was a Turk, I'd assume you's a Turk, too. They's been after me for a long time. ShinRa ain't got 'hold of me yet, and you's gonna be my key for them never getting' mitts on me, girly. You mighty purty to be a Turk, though. Lookin' like they'da put a guy there 'stead of a real woman." He brought Reno forward and kissed him on the neck, causing him to flinch. "Stop movin', bitch!" The second backhand knocked Reno for a flip, causing his head to swim. "Yeah, def'nite plans for you, hun." A shiver of fear ran through the lithe guy's spine as he was snatched into a rundown building, the door slamming shut behind them.


	3. Discoveries Galore

_Hi! Third chapter, all done in the time that I was supposed to be doing classwork. Yes yes, I am a good role model, aren't I boys and girls? Anyway, I don't know where the story is going. I just write when I have the inspiration to write, and lately I've had a lot of it. So, R&R!_

"So let me get this straight, instead of shoving a real woman out there, you put the leader of MY Turks on the line?"

"Essentially, yes. Reno didn't exactly volunteer, but he didn't put up a huuuuuge struggle, either."

Rufus raised a brow. "You're telling me that Reno didn't put up a fight against being shoved into a kimono, paraded around like a girl and being sold off like a common street whore?"

"Well, we said he didn't put up a huge struggle. See, he couldn't put up a huge struggle, because Elena tied the kimono so tight. So, nah, it wasn't a huge issue, you know boss?"

"You people are some of the most idiotic goons I've ever had the curse of taking charge over. So you're telling me, you have no central sense of authority now that your leader is missing?"

"I mean, Rude could always take his place, it's not like we're completely LOST or anything." Elena grinned up at the President, flirting despite the fact that her boyfriend was in the room. Rude glared over at her, disapproving of the way she was ogling Rufus. "Reno wasn't the most valuable asset to the Turks, you know. Boss, we failed more missions because he was drunk last year than anything. Really, we should have a better leader."

Rufus sighed and massaged his temples with his hands, leaning against the desk. The nineteen year old President looked like he was ready to snap at the two remaining Turks. "Listen, Reno was appointed the leader of the Turks for a REASON. You cannot be leader. Rude cannot be leader. For one, you are a ROOKIE!" Elena hung her head sheepishly, a blush coming over her face. "Rude is a little too OLD to be a leader, he doesn't know the warehouses in the slums as well as he used to." Rude sort of sighed and looked away from the desk. "Reno was the leader for a reason, and that was because he has the knowledge to guide you through the slums and guide you through safely. So therefore, if you want to keep your title as the Turks, you're going to find your faithful leader, clean him up and have him report to me. Do you understand? If Reno dies or if he's not found, you're not going to like what happens. Have I been clear and concise so far?"

Both of them nodded, swallowing hard. The phrase 'you're not going to like what happens' rang in the back of both of their minds, sort of emphasizing the point that just because they were Turks didn't mean that they couldn't be disposed of. "Very well. You two are dismissed. Find him this week, else you might not have a chance of finding him alive at all." With that, Rufus leaned against his desk and rose, walking from behind it and out of the room, Dark Nation hot on his heels.

Elena turned with Rude and shoved her hands in her pockets, walking for the door. "What if we don't find him, Rude?"

The man looked at Elena. "Well, you heard what would happen if we don't find him. We won't like what happens. It always means you're either going to get iced or you're going to find yourself in a whole shit-load of trouble. And it don't mean your mama's gonna bend you over her knee, neither."

"Where do you think the bastard could've taken him?"

"There are so many rundown old warehouses that Bahamut only knows. He could be in any of the drug-infested sectors. We have to find him before that guy tries to take his clothes off of him, too. That would be one shocking surprise, you know?" Rude laughed as he shoved his glasses up on top of his forehead. "He might actually kill the guy from shock rather than anything else, you know?"

Elena made a strange face. "Unless the guy's a really freaky pervert that doesn't really care whether Reno is a girl or not. Oh…my…gawd… What if he rapes him ANYWAY?" She frowned and stared down at the floor. "What if he kills him after, Rude?"

The bald man sighed and shook his head. "There's only one way we can find out if Reno's okay or not. We have to track his red-headed ass down and get to the bottom of whatever's happening. We're going to rip the fucker apart when Rufus gets finished interrogating him, so if Reno is still alive when we find him, then he's going to enjoy messin' the guy up. He's gonna beat him so bad that he'll probably IMPROVE his looks by ten percent or more."

"Whoa, you can actually do that? I WANNA SEE IT HAPPEN!"

"You really are a rookie, you know?" Rude shook his head and got on the elevator with Elena to head back down into the slums.

**In an old abandoned warehouse…**

"Well well, purty. You lookin' like you done seen a ghost. Hun, I ain't that scary. You scared o' me?" The drug lord had his arm wrapped around Reno, holding him tightly against his chest. Reno's face was turning blue, it looked like, just from air constriction. "I ain't that bad, honey babe, I jus' got a lotta needs that need sat'sfied 'n' you gonna be sat'sfyin' 'em." He stroked a hand through Reno's hair and tugged the blue bows out, shoving him down hard. Reno hit his knees on the hard concrete of the warehouse, skidding a few inches. He could already feel the burn from the concrete on his knees and on the palms of his hands. The guy almost cried out, but suddenly remember that he had to keep his cover.

'_Reno, keep cool, keep cool. This might depend on your survival, you bastard. Come on, just don't scream, don't talk, keep it all cool. Oh gawd, please Rude find me.'_ Reno looked up at the guy, the mako in his eyes shimmering brightly in the little bit of light that they had to see by. The hole in the plate above that had been caused from an explosion six months ago allowed a little bit of moonlight to filter in, silhouetting the red-head's form in the kimono. It caused the mako to have a very strange shimmer that succeeded in creeping the drug lord out a little bit. _'C'mon, just bide a little time. Just wait, Reno. You'll be rescued. They can't leave you, cuz there won't BE the Turks without you. Right…?'_

"Them eyes, them eyes. Girly, you sure got some purty eyes." The man reached down as he squatted in front of Reno, cradling his chin in his hand. "And they sure is creepy, too, all in'at same sens'a bein'." Reno almost freaked out as the guy started to lean forward. He did the inevitable, just as the red-head had feared. The scent of onions mixed with the cheap cologne the guy had on filtered into Reno's nose as he felt overly-hot and wet lips on his own. He had to force the bile that he felt in his throat down as he tried to snatch away from the man. However, the guy simply would not have it. "Now, I ain't usually all'at mean to my lady-friends, but you really getting' on my nerves, baby. Sit still, relax. I ain't gonna hurt'cha unless you keep strugglin'. If you keep strugglin', you migh' not live to see wha' I'm gonna do to ya." The man shoved Reno down harshly, causing his rear end to scrape across the concrete an inch or two. When the guy knelt over him, that was when he started to struggle.

With a punch to the face, Reno at least stunned the guy enough to try and struggle to his feet and get away. However, the man was much faster than the red-head had anticipated. The man recoiled from the punch, but quickly recovered and lunged forward, his fat hand wrapping around Reno's small wrist. He snatched backwards, throwing Reno's balance off and sending him tumbling down against the man's abdomen as he knelt there. "Now I done told'ja I dun' wanna hurt'cha. If'n you keep strugglin' like you been doin', you gonna die, bitch." He reached down and snatched Reno's face up harshly, sharp pain rushing through his cheeks as the fingers squeezed too tight on sensitive areas. "An' you… Whoa… A honey with stubble?" He stroked his fingers against the area underneath Reno's chin, leading down to his neck. "You ain't one of them normal women, and I s'pect you gonna be quite diff'rent when I get your clothes off. Why don' we see?"

The man turned Reno around to face him, starting to reach down and undo the belt that held the wrap-around kimono tightly on his body. Once again, Reno started to struggle for all he was worth. _'Fuck a skirt.'_ He lifted his knees and slammed his foot straight into the guy's groin, causing him to give a humongous grunt and fall forward. It also served the purpose of making his grip much weaker. Reno snapped his wrist to the side, breaking out using the thumb-side of the man's grip against him. Jumping to his feet, Reno took off for the door, only to have the tightness of the kimono hinder him. _'Elena, I ought to HURT your ass when I get out of here! God Damnit!'_ Sure enough, Reno tripped and fell flat on his face right there in the middle of the floor. He felt thundering steps behind him, along with an enraged cry of pain.

Painful weight slammed down on Reno's legs, causing him to almost cry out again. The man had sat down on him, understandably angry from the kick to the groin. Ripping his fat hand out, he grabbed Reno's arm and twisted him to the side, digging his fingers into a pressure point located along his upper arm. Reno had no choice but to cry out, though it was more like a strangulated scream than anything. The man didn't appear to notice that there was much more to the 'girl' than what he'd originally thought. "You bitch, I tol' you I didn' wanna hurt'cha, but you didn' listen, DID'JA?" Reno heard the 'snk' of a switchblade. His eyes widened as he remembered just what type of switchblade was about to be used against him. He'd used the same type on many occasions just to get information out of people. The cold blade in the man's hand was glinting in the moonlight viciously, casting a thin shadow across Reno's jaw. Holding the blade to the young man's skin, he stroked it softly against the soft tissue, ghosting the sharp edge up toward the lobe of his ear. It caused a chill to go up Reno's spine, even though pain still reverberated from the rest of his body. "You wanna play it hard, don'cha? If'n you wanna be a bad little whore, I'll treat'cha like one. 'Least I can't say you wasn' feisty 'nough."

The man started to press harder on the blade when he made it to Reno's cheek, the blade slicing through the skin like a hot wire through butter. Blood trickled down, dripping and staining the shoulder of the kimono a very ugly purpled-rust color. It kept pouring, soon saturating that spot on the garment and dropping onto the floor, forming into a pool that was growing by the second. "I'll jus' mess ya up so no one else won' want'cha. Then ya can just be mine forever. How 'bout that, purty?" Reno was horrified when the man leaned down and drug his tongue across the cut, lapping up blood that was still pooling there. The red-head didn't move, however, because of the blade still held very close to his face. "Why don' we play now, since you gots a motivation to play purty?" He sat down on the floor, a few feet away from the pool of blood, and snatched Reno into his lap. The young man had no choice but to go willingly, due to his wrist being held close to the blade in the man's other hand.

Starting to stroke Reno's side, the man brought his mouth close to Reno's ear, breathing harshly in it. The red-head felt like puking, felt sick and violated just from what the man had already made him suffer. He felt the knife slide against the thin material of the kimono and catch underneath the belt. The bastard started to cut through the only thing holding the garment onto Reno's body, making the Turk cringe. He knew he was about to be discovered, and he also knew that he was probably going to die from it.

Sure enough, the knife cut through the material easily, causing it to fall in one swipe toward the ground. The kimono stayed in its place, since the creases and folds of it were already molded to his body. _'Oh my gawd, please no no no no no no no noooooooo! So fuckin' CREEPY! You nasty bastard, get your god damn hands off of me!' _Reno wished he could just speak.

"Awww… I bet'cher purty as a picture, girly. Why don' we see?" Reno raised a brow, almost amused at what the man was about to see. It was sure to be a hair raising experience for the poor guy. Sure enough, the man slowly folded the wrap-around down, revealing Reno's back. All of his scars were there from knife fights and other various things. However, the man didn't see his chest juuuust yet. "Heheheh, that's it. Don' be scared o' me, girly. I ain't gonna hurt'cha none if you jus' stop struggl-" Reno couldn't have timed it any better. The guy reached around to grope a breast that was supposed to be there and was left to grasp only air. "Whoa… Got small 'uns, eh?" Suddenly, he felt what WASN'T there and sort of…laughed? Reno blinked, confused as he just knew that the guy was going to toss him, scream, do something. But, he just laughed.

"I knew there's somethin' odd 'bout you. I KNEW IT! You still damned purty, though." Reno felt freaked out. The guy was going to keep him ANYWAY? "Hmmm… You still gonna serve a purpose, boy. You a Turk, ain't you? Yeah, you're that red-headed boy that's always tryin' to snipe me off. You ain't gonna see your friends again, so why don't we have us a little pow-wow?" The guy continued to grope Reno rather Rudely as he continued to peel the material down. Reno wriggled on his lap, only to be shaken very harshly, almost like a terrier in a pit bull's mouth. "Be still, you little bas'ard! I gots some things to say, then we gonna have us some fun."

A cold chill went down Reno's throat and landed in his stomach, spreading all over his body. Fun? The color drained out of his face as he knew what that meant in slum terms. He could just imagine himself raped, bleeding and dying, laying on the sidewalk where people would merely step over his limp body. Not that it surprised him all that much, he could just imagine it. It would be very typical of Midgar, something he was very used to seeing.

"I knew you was somethin' odd when I firs' saw ya. But if you's good, and you is nice, and you do what I say, I ain't gonna kill your ass. Jus' cause you purty, and jus' cause I think you got some 'sperience with weapons. You a Turk, you gotta be good with the warehouses, ShinRa supplies, shipment schedules and all'at good jazz. So now, we gonna work together, and we gonna bargain for your life. See, you got good contactses with the weapons suppliers. I know you do, cuz you got sway, see? It all works out, and we all gonna be really really happy. An' when I done gone away to wherever I plan to go with what'chu gonna get me, I might even let you go. Isn't that goin' to be nice, kiddo?" He ruffled Reno's hair, like he was an apprentice that had just learned a new skill. Glaring over at the man, Reno sort of showed he wasn't very interested in his 'proposition'. "An' if'n you don' help me, I'm gonna make you scream tonigh' and just throw your body out for your friends to find. Do I make myself clear, son?" He grabbed the base of Reno's neck and stared him right in the eyes. "I can tell you're just so damn willin'. I'll take that glare as a yeah."

"Go to hell, you sorry mother fucker."

Once more, Reno's world spun out of control. The man had backhanded him so hard that he'd knocked him for a flip in the air and caused him to land on his stomach on the concrete. Laying there, Reno groaned, pushing himself up to his bare knees on the cold stone. "That wasn' a very nice answer, son." Blood continued to drip from Reno's cheek, but a new stream started from his lip. It was the same spot that had bled before he'd entered the warehouse, when the man first backhanded him. "In fact, if I get another answer like that, I might forget where my manners are and cut your purty little face up. Understand?" Another glare from Reno. Another smack across the face that sent the poor red-head reeling. "Do I make myself clear, son? Or do I have to show you right now that I'm the one you shoul' be worried 'bout, not this blade?" He snatched Reno up by his cheeks, squeezing so hard that the red-head could barely think to speak. "Do I make myself clear, son, that you're gonn' do what I say?"

"Y-yeah."

"I wanna hear 'yes sir', bitch."

"Yes sir."


	4. Broken

_Hi. This is a shorter chapter than the rest, merely because of the fact that I'm trying to get little sections done at a time. It might increase the detail that I usually am so bad at. So, R&R!_

Rude frowned. The expression seemed to be worn by him more those days than an actual blank stare or a smile. "Where could he have taken him Rude? There's blood on the floor, his clothes are bunched up in the corner. What do we do if he's dead?" Elena seemed to be freaking out too much in the past few days, something Rude was getting worried about.

The large man reached out and snagged her shoulder, shaking her gently. "Calm. Turks are calm, Elena. Calm down and we'll find Reno. He's a smart kid, he wouldn't have just gone with him blindly without leaving a trail. He's street smart like that. There's got to be something around here to indicate where he was taken, if he was left conscious when they 'escorted' him out." Rude released Elena and stared around at the scene. The blood-stained kimono in the corner let Rude know that something major had gone down. The pool of blood in the floor indicated that there was a struggle, or at least something similar to one. He leaned down to look at the blood that pooled there. The quivering pool was almost gelatin-like in structure, indicating that there was a high amount of mako in it. "This is Reno's blood, I can almost guarantee you." Indeed, as the sunlight shimmered through the hole in the roof of the warehouse, it seemed to make the blood shine a bit more than a normal liquid would. "There was a huge struggle."

Rude stood up, walking toward the kimono that lay in the corner. He picked it up by the collar, the full length of it displaying a streak of red that saturated the waist-line down to the hem of the garment. "He either knifed him or raped him. Or either this is a set up. I know this is Reno's blood, too." He dropped the kimono, moving toward the belt. Picking it up, he started to examine the edges of it. "Cut, like with a switchblade. The guy definitely knows that Ren is a guy now unless he gave him clothes to change into and left him alone. Chances are, he knows. I just don't know if we're going to find him alive now."

Elena stared at him. "But wouldn't he have left the body here had he killed him?"

The bald man shook his head. "This guy is smarter than that. I guarantee you, if Reno is dead, he's either in the ocean or he's buried somewhere. I'm not ready to give up on him just yet, though. I know the kid's got a lot of fight in him, and I just don't want to believe that Reno would've let him knife him or rape him without putting up a larger struggle than the evidence indicates. Maybe the guy's saving him for a ransom to ShinRa? I know that's what I would do. ShinRa would pay top money to get one of their main men back if one part of the company really suffered because he was gone. And it's going to suffer if Reno's gone."

"How so? It looks like they could get anyone to be a Turk."

Rude raised a brow behind his sunglasses at the question. "ShinRa hires us because they know that we can do the job and do it right." He started to pace around the blonde girl. "They know that we can do it quickly, accurately and we don't ask questions. It's hard to find people like that. The people on the streets of Midgar are the prime candidates for the Turks, but there aren't enough with common sense to actually be an asset. They would be more of a hindrance than a helping hand. We need people that are smart, but not too smart. Though most of us don't really question what we do, it takes a pro to do it and do it without conscience. That's why I'm not a leader of the Turks. I couldn't order my men to do what Reno orders us to do."

"He orders us? Hmph. The last order I got from him was last month."

"Last week, actually. Remember? Midgar is sinking and sinking fast. We aren't going to have a job in about three years, I would say. But anyway, he orders us to do these jobs without much thought to them. He doesn't have a huge conscience issue, because he was never taught right from wrong properly. Reno was taught Sector Three rights and wrongs. That's what ShinRa looks for. They don't see the consequences of their actions or they don't care. Right now, I'm thinking Reno's alive just because of the street training he's had for so long. Therefore, we need to start looking for him as soon as possible if we're going to keep him alive. Besides, he can't die. I've already promised him a bottle of Sake from the Turtle's Paradise." Rude smiled and dropped the belt of the kimono on the ground. He straightened his tie, then walked toward the exit of the warehouse, Elena in tow.

**In Sector Two…**

Reno glared at the ground as he listened to the ceaseless squabbling of street children and gang members. It was something he should've been used to, but the headache that was forming around his temples proved that he was not ready to go back to hearing it. Staring at the odd assortment of people, he leaned forward. The jeans, t-shirt and boots that the drug-lord had offered to him felt better against his skin than the silky kimono had. Hell, he'd even washed the makeup off. He looked like a normal guy again, much to his happiness. He watched the gang members parading around, waving knives and guns as they tried to bully the street kids in that sector into doing what they wanted them to. Reno rolled his eyes, leaning back again. It was hell when you couldn't even get away from a few shoddy gang members. If only the guy that had captured him would leave, he would be able to slip away.

The leader, whose name was Nicho Freeman, stood with his fat arms crossed, a non-caring glare toward the gang members. "Y'know, I'ma getting' tired of hearin' all that squallin' and catterwallin'. Just give the god damn kids the stuff and le's go. I got me someplace to be. Kids don' matter much as what I'm 'bout to unda'take." He started to move toward Reno, reaching out. He slid his hands in the poor guy's hair, causing a shiver to go up and down his spine again. "Ain't they tiresome, Beaut?"

Reno shot him a cold glare, the mako shimmering in the sunlight that filtered into the cracks in the top plate. He had to remember that it wasn't just pride he was fighting for. He was fighting for his life as well, therefore had to keep his tongue in check. "Yes sir."

"Tha's what I thought, hun. Keep your words real nice and purty like that and you might be doin' jus' fine." Reno was disgusted when the guy leaned down and kissed him for the third time that day. "Real real fine…"

His eye twitched as the guy turned away. Reno took the time to wipe his lips off, a frown settling over his face that simply could not be wiped away. He felt violated, tossed, jumbled and abused. Indeed, the ceaseless gropes, kisses and general displays of perverted affection were getting to him, unnerving him. He felt like being sick but there was nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. He was stuck there until Rude and Elena could rescue him from his private hell.

"Alrigh'. We headed outta here. Each and every one o' you little bas'ards needs to get up and get movin'. Get my wares and take 'em to the boat." Reno's world started to crumble around him. BOAT? "Heh. I got plans for you, Beaut. You gonna be my play-pretty. You got the weapons knowledge, you got the trainin', and you sure as hell got the face. Le's go." Reno's head started to spin as the guy snatched him up. That time he could not keep it down, the vile liquids rising in his throat as he thought about being lost forever to a perverted guy. He had no choice but to wrench away from Nich and be noisily sick at the edge of the area they had been sitting in. "Ah, poor baby. That dog don' hunt. Go help him, you dumbass." He shoved one of the younger gang members toward Reno, causing the girl to stumble.

Reno wretched over and over again, almost ready to pass out. He heard steps coming toward him, but he noticed it wasn't the limp canter of Nich. It was the paced steps of someone that could actually move well. The girl sauntered up to Reno and knelt down beside him. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he closed his eyes. "Are you okay?"

"Do you think I'm okay?"

"I know damn good and well I wouldn't be. Ugh, how can you stand that sorry bastard touching and feeling you?"

"Well when your life's on the line, you kinda make exceptions with the people that can gut you without a thought."

"Poor guy. My sister was the same as you, you know? She didn't make it through alive, though. It was almost like Nich had it out for her in the end, you know?" The girl had a glint of sadness in her eyes that Reno detected easily when he looked into her face.

"What happened to your sister?"

"She fought him. You don't fight the bastard; you let him do what he wants. Therefore, he's not going to hurt you. Just don't struggle and you should live. He only wants a cheap fuck and someone to push around. I'm afraid you've become his new play toy. I feel sorry for you, mister - uhm… What's your name?"

"It ain't no mister to it. Call me Reno."

"No last name?"

"Not that I can remember."

"Oh, you must be the Turk he was ranting about. I would've thought he'd have killed you instead of kidnapping you. You must've been on a mission?"

"Yeah, I was on a strange mission. I don't really feel like talking about it right now, you know?"

"That's completely understandable. So what do Turks do?"

He frowned. "We do whatever ShinRa wants us to do and pays us well to do. We don't discriminate, we hate everyone equally. How's that for feel-good emotions?"

Reno managed to get a small smile out of the girl. "It sounds pretty damn good to me. It's better than the gang that I'm in. It seems that every time we come into this sector of the slums we have to do something to the general population to piss them off more than usual." She frowned and lowered her head. "Sometimes I wonder if working for ShinRa wouldn't be just as bad, but then I remember that you only do select jobs instead of just bombing the whole fuckin' plate or other evil shit like that."

"Don't get me wrong, we've done some pretty evil shit."

"Oh, I don't doubt it for a minute. I'm just saying it probably wouldn't be as evil as some of the shit that they make us do."

"So what's your name?"

The girl offered Reno a smile. "Tasha."

"No last name?"

Tasha smirked. "Not that I can remember." Reno's eyes met with hers and they grinned at one another.

"'EY! GET'CHER ASS OVER HERE, BEAUT! I gots a job fer you now." Reno looked up at Nich, who stood there with a switchblade in hand, a sadistic look on his face. "Git up and come, baby-child. Come on, don' be shy of ol' Nich." Reno sighed and rose from where he was knealing next to Tasha, walking toward the bastard that would have him for Bahamut-only-knows long. The guy towered over Reno, the red-head having to stare up into the drug-lord's face. "Now son, I want'cha to come with me. Don' struggle, don' scream and don' think for a minute I won't kill your ass if'n you don' do what I want'cha to." Reno gagged at the mere thought of doing what he thought he was going to do all over again. It made him sick to his stomach, made him dive toward the edge of the area to get sick again.


	5. Sweet Release

_Hi. I know this is a short chapter, but I'm trying to work on school and get updates out at the same time. So, the next chapters might be a little shorter than what I normally write. Plus, I have to think of situations that would really make sense. So for now, enjoy this little tidbit and R&R._

The chill of a cold blanket swept across Reno's body, his battered and bruised frame showing the result of a broken spirit and a few aches. Actually, more than a few. Whimpering, Reno turned over onto his stomach, or rather tried to, squeezing his eyes shut very tightly. He wanted to make the world go away, make it stop. It was spinning, and he knew that if it kept whirling like it was, surely it would all spiral too quickly and topple off of the pedestal it was standing on to crash down into a pit of failure. Merely to shatter. He groaned as he felt pain course through his lower body, the chill of the sheets not helping in the least to take away the pain that had been caused to him. He tried to sit up, but found it absolutely impossible at that point in time. Therefore, he just laid his head back on the pillow, the smell of onions still wafting around the bed unpleasantly. Was his torture session over? Was the bastard going to leave him alone? The smell wasn't as strong as it had been, therefore Reno assumed that his tormentor had gotten bored and had left to mess up someone else's life. At least for right then.

Whimpering, Reno pushed himself around on the bed until he was situated on the edge to look at the blinking alarm clock. Four AM? The numbers were getting blurred as he stared at them, wondering what day it was, what was happening. Tears seeped into his line of vision as he stared at the clock, allowing his gaze to drop to stare at the ugly puce carpet. He never thought his life would sink to that point. Sobs racked his body as he laid his head down against the pillow, face-down in it. "Can I die yet?" He whimpered, shifting his body again to try and get to the edge. He felt warm hands catch him, however, the sweet smell of a woman's perfume wafted through the air instead of the harsh smell his 'boss' had.

"No, you can't die. Shush, I gotta take care of you, hun." He recognized it as Tasha, the girl that had helped him to get his composure back in the sector. Had she been there all that time? Reno frowned, his ego seeming to collapse even more than it had already. "You're pretty bad off… Let's get you up and into the bathtub, why don't we?" Tasha reached underneath the blankets, cool hands brushing along his battered skin. "Damn, he cut you up, too." Reno was very embarrassed from the state that he was currently in. Closing his eyes tightly as she pulled him up to his feet, she drug his arm over her shoulder to help him to the bathroom. "Some of the men are going to talk to you today, you know? They're going to explain the ins and outs of the gang and how everything is going to work." Reno sighed softly and nodded, his mane of red hair falling down over his face to hide the blush.

Ooh, but the warm water felt so good. His aches in his muscles and joints seemed to fade a little bit as he sat in the water, though the fresh cuts on his arms, legs, back and face seemed to burn when Tasha ran a wet cloth over them. "You know, this is like a hazing exercise for the boss. He always enjoys this kinda shit. Unless you know how to defend yourself really well, everyone ends up just like you did. Never ever make the boss angry. You'll end up right in the situation you just got out of. If you never piss him off, you won't end up that way again unless he chooses you for his little playmate like he did one of the last men that came through. Least to say, that guy didn't make it out." Reno watched her face as she sort of stared at the wall.

"You must've been close to him?"

"He was a good friend. The boss ripped him up really badly with the switchblade… He's got a thing for blood, if you didn't notice." Reno lifted his arm to display a gash across it. "Yeah, you already knew that, heh."

"Yeah, kinda-sorta. The fucker ripped my back open, I think…" He leaned down a little bit to allow Tasha to see. "I know it hurts like hell."

There was a six-inch-long gash down the middle of his back that was cleanly cut by the switchblade. "Yeah, he cut you up really badly. We'll have to get some medicine on them pretty soon to make 'em heal up before your first job."

"What if I don't wanna do my job?"

"Honey, you have no choice. If you piss him off, he's either going to rape you again or he's going to kill you. I would rather be killed, but he's going to do whichever one he thinks will be more of an asset to him and his little 'business'. I would stay clear of pissing him off. Now let's get you out of this tub and into some clean clothes. I gotta doctor your wounds."

_My first night in hell with an angel, eh? The angel of death. So beautiful. I would never accuse her of being a gang member, or doing any types of dealings that have to do with certain death. Oh well… I'd rather be here with a woman than with a man. At least she's a nice lookin' chick._ Reno couldn't help but have positive thoughts, despite his pain.

**One hour later…**

Reno slept peacefully as Tasha applied the bandages to his wounds, the salve underneath helping to sooth the pain. She watched him as he slept, tying knots in the ends of the bandages so that they wouldn't come off easily. "To be so peaceful… An angel in the middle of hell… A red-headed one, at that. So perfect, but yet so corrupted. A fallen, red-headed angel. How ironic." Tasha turned and walked out of the door, leaving him to sleep there until the boss would tell her to get him up.


	6. Ain't No Comin' Back

_I finally got this chapter finished. I've been doing things all week, and I just got a chance to finish it. So, there isn't really all that much to explain. R&R and just let's see how this one comes out…_

Elena stared at Rude as he paced around the room, staring at the bloody sheets. "Always one step ahead of us, aren't they?" She sighed and lowered her head, not giving an answer. The sheets were saturated in the red body fluid, proving that something had happened there. However, like he'd said, the bastard was one step ahead of them. He'd moved Reno somewhere else instead of staying where he'd been to rest. They'd been wrong about the location. "But, that's okay. I doubt Reno's moving too quickly. They'll have to slow their pace for him if he's to be any value."

Blinking a few times, Elena looked at the sheets. "Do you think he…?"

"Do you think he what? It's a given he's already raped him. There's nothing we can do about that right now. We just have to worry about getting Reno back before the bastard gets him to reveal what exactly ShinRa has in its largest warehouse. Man, if a drug-lord got his hands on that shit, we would all be in very bad trouble. Therefore, we have to make sure that little red doesn't reveal the location. I mean, Reno's very strong, and I doubt he would allow the guy to get him down that much. I don't really think he'd give any information away."

"But what if Reno does give information away? What's in the warehouse anyway?"

"The most powerful piece of materia in the world. It's supposed to be more powerful than Holy and Meteor. Only, it isn't the destroy-the-world-all-at-once kinda powerful. It's one of those more subtle things. One that someone could use to get an upper hand on Shinra Inc. I think we need to find the two of 'em and make the bastard pay. We might wanna get Reno to a hospital, too." Rude smiled at her and walked toward the door, wrapping an arm around her as he walked.

"Do you think he would kill Reno?"

"I don't know. I doubt he would until he found out what he wanted to know. He might feel the need to kill him after that, but before that I doubt Reno's life is in danger. Maybe his pride and his happiness, but not his life. We have to get going, Elena."

The two clasped hands and headed toward the stairwell that would allow them access to the cold streets of the slums once more. Though Rude assured Elena that he was safe for then, he wasn't sure if he trusted himself. What if Reno was already dead? That kept weighing on his mind like a concrete block.

**Elsewhere, in the same sector…**

"Do you really think we need to push him?" Tasha frowned as she watched Reno's whimpering form, curled up with pain as he held his stomach. "I mean, he looks like he's in really bad shape. He could be hurt inside, or maybe the boss cut him too deep and he bled too much? Do we really want to take that chance, Ti?"

The young man that was trying to get Reno up off of the ground looked up, dazzling mako eyes to match her other friend's staring up at her. "If we don't do what the boss wants us to, you know what's gonna happen. Someone's gonna get a cap in th'ey ass. We need'a just get 'im in, y'know? Somewh'er outta the cold so's he can recover. I know he gotta be hurtin'." Ti shifted the red-head, tugging his arm over his larger frame to help him to his feet.

"What, we're just going to take him back into the hotel? You know the Turks are probably on our trail by now. If we don't get him away from here, we're going to get caught."

"Well I dun' think that really matters now. I mean, boss wants him alive. Therefore, we gotta keep him alive, or else we're gonna get it from him."

Tasha shot him a smile. "You're scared of him?"

"Well, shouldn't I be?"

"Pfft. You're a wuss."

"Who says!"

"I say, and my opinion is the only one that matters." She stuck her tongue out at Ti and then grabbed Reno's arm, tugging him back toward her. "We gotta get him outta here before we get caught, I'll say it again."

"Man, you're trying to get me killed, aren't you?"

"Nah, just do what I say and everything'll be just fine. I'll even take the blame if we get in trouble with the boss."

"Fine. You're takin' care of the little faerie when we get him somewhere safe."

"Deal."

As the two hobbled off with Reno in between them, Rude and Elena descended the stairs. "So where are we going to look next?" The sentence had become quite common between the two since Reno had disappeared with the drug lord. Rude only hoped they wouldn't have to repeat it very much longer.

"I say we look around, see if there are any tracks and follow 'em. You know how stupid criminals tend to leave tracks. If we can get their trail, we might be able to follow them somewhere. It's the only thing I can think of."

"Do you really think they'd be that stupid to leave a trail that we can follow?"

Rude glared at her over his sunglasses. "Don't even doubt it. I've seen dumber things over the years than that. I don't doubt anything anymore."

Elena shook her head and shoved her hands in her jacket pocket, stepping down on the first floor. They'd shaken the owner of the hotel up really badly when they barged into the place as they did. It was the middle of the night, everyone was supposed to be asleep and he'd been locking up. Who really expected two people in dark suits to come knocking at their door at that hour? It usually meant trouble.

Rude shot the poor guy a glance as he stood behind the counter, a curt nod passed between them as he headed for the door. They let the man with nothing else, not even a clue as to why they were there in the first place.

"Think we shook him up?"

"Pah. He probably shit all over himself."

**Somewhere…**

"So, do we know where the materia is yet?"

"Nah. Can't get the red-head to crack. If we can't get him to tell us where it is, then who else can?"

"I thought Turks were all knowing when it came to that crap? If'n he don' tell us where it is the firs' time we ask, maybe we need to convince 'im it's best to tell us."

"Convince? Pfft, didn't know that was your style."

"You oughtta know what kinda convincin' I'm talkin' about. He's gonna tell us, one way or 'nother. And if he don' crack soon, I'ma get tired of him. It ain't usually good when I get tired of someone."

"I hear ya, boss."

The drug lord was perched in front of a wide table, talking with a few of his associates. "What do we do when we get hold of the material? They say it's even more potent than that black materia that Sephiroth supposedly used a couple of years back. Do you think that's possible?"

The beefy man glared over at the underling. "I dunno if it's possible, but if anyone'd be capable of makin' somethin' like that, it would be ShinRa. I guess ol' Rufus got tired of bein' threatened by meteors and strange silver-haired weirdoes with big katanas and stuff. We gotta get hold of the materia, whether it's useful or not." The men nodded, all of them rising from the table at once.

"Oh, and make sure li'l red talks. Use whatsoeva you gotta use to get him to blab."

**An hour later…**

"Reno?"

"Ugn?" Reno's eyes fluttered open, despite his desire to stay fully unconscious. He did NOT want to wake up again to a rape crisis or a crazy bastard asking him where some nonexistent materia was. It was just crap, right? Not real, just an Urban Legend, right? Reno wasn't sure he wanted to know or not. Hell, chances are if he knew and told things would just blow up in his face. Besides, he wasn't a traitor.

"Reno, you have to tell us where the materia is." Tasha stared down into his face, her eyes revealing fear beyond measure. "C'mon, you have to wake up and tell us now. Something bad's going to happen if you don't."

The red-head sat up, staring around at the room. It was odd, everything was blurry. Had they given him something to knock him out? Reno whimpered, hugging his knees to his chest. "N-… Na.. I do-" He couldn't speak well, couldn't even form the words it would take to tell them that he knew of no such materia. Taking a glance to the right, he noticed some evil-lookin' dudes standing a few feet away. They didn't look too happy with him not being able to talk properly.

Glaring over at them, he laid back and shook his head. "The kid ain't gonna talk is he?"

Reno closed his eyes and curled up on his side. He knew what was about to happen, and he knew that it was going to be painful. Tasha sighed and stood in front of him. "C'mon, guys. He apparently doesn't know anything about this. I mean, wouldn't he have already told you if he knew anything?"

"No, cuz he's a little sneak that doesn't know what he's doing in the world. He doesn't know who he's messing with and by all goodness, he ain't gonna live through this sit'iation if he don't talk. He's very expendable right now, cuz the boss's got plenty of pretty boys that he can take his frustration out on. He don't need red there."

"What in the hell are you going to do to him?" The savage growl that rose in Tasha's throat caused the men to give her another glance. "He doesn't KNOW anything, else he wouldn't be cowering away from you like a fuckin' dog. He just wants you to leave him alone. He would've already said something if he knew something, therefore why can't you just leave him alone? He doesn't know SHIT, apparently!"

"Shut the fuck up, woman, and get outta our way." A couple of the brutes moved forward and shoved Tasha to the right harshly. However, they didn't count on the repercussions of their actions. Reaching out to grab Reno's wrist, the first man had a smirk on his face that showed he was confident that he could get his job done. That was until his brains splattered against the wall, a bullet through his temple. A horrified expression was left on the man's face as he slowly tilted sideways and flopped down onto the floor. The other guy looked over at Tasha, then turned and beat a hasty retreat.

Reno stared up at Tasha as she stepped over the body to see if he was hurt. "Reno, I'm gonna get you back to your friends. I know you know something, but I'm not going to let you get hurt anymore. I've seen too many friends go through this." Reno blinked a few times, remembering the opportunities they'd had to talk. He'd learned a lot about the girl, and she'd learned a little bit about his loyalty. Hefting him up, she draped his arm over her shoulder and pulled him toward the door to go look for Rude and Elena.


	7. Cast Me Into the Dead Spot Again

_This is a short chapter, but it goes into detail before I have to really get serious on the angst and the stuff that makes everyone not like a story, but yet unable to tear their eyes away. Yes, the inevitable angst. Oh, how I love thee. Some things just make a story worth writing, and that's what I write for. I have to put angst in everything to keep it dramatic to my tastes. Then again, too much drama is just too much. So, R&R and tell me if I'm getting too sappy or not. Thanks to all my reviewers so far. I really appreciate the comments that you leave for me to read. Without getting reviews, I wouldn't be inspired to write more. So, enjoy._

"I can't figure it out."

"Can't figure what out? Why I helped you?" Tasha stared down into the red-head's eyes a smile gracing her face. "There are many reasons why I helped you, do you want to hear some, or do you want to save it for when we find your two friends?"

Reno shook his head. "I don't really care right now. I just wanna curl up into a ball and go to sleep."

"Sounds damn good to me, but first we've got to get the rest of your wounds bandaged up and shake some of the idiots off of our tail." There had been gang members following them since the day before, when they'd escaped. It had been a hard fight and a narrow miss, but they'd made it into the next sector without dying. Not that the gang members hadn't been trying… They'd been shooting at the two runaways, and a couple of them had met their doom from Tasha's gun. Sitting down next to Reno on the cold earth, she reached out to take his shoulder in her hands. "You know, you get hurt more than anyone I've ever seen."

He smiled up toward her. "Yeah, that seems to be the norm for me. I can't go anywhere or do any mission without gettin' hurt most of the time. It's the damndest thing I've ever seen, you know?" He lowered his gaze from her face, focusing on the ground. His angel… His guardian angel? He couldn't even look her in the face. How pitiful was that? Reno didn't have too high regard for himself when it came to a pretty girl like Tasha. Sure, she was cute and sure she would probably fall for the hurt Turk act, but would he really try it? Nah.

"Sometimes I wonder if you just don't care or if you want to get hurt."

"Huh?"

"I've heard that some people, if they don't care for themselves enough will actually go to lengths to make themselves hurt or make themselves die or feel pain. I've seen a lot of things like that. It's like punishing yourself."

"Why would anyone punish themselves?"

"Beats me, but I've seen it happen loads of times, Ren. It's almost like your inner person tells you you're not good enough to live free of pain. Some peoples' inner voice tells 'em they aren't good enough to live."

"So that would make me shove myself out in front of a hail of bullets to save a pretty girl, eh?"

"Well, maybe it wouldn't if it was a pretty girl involved, but I'm pretty sure you don't have very high self esteem. That would help in the process of you not wanting to wake up and see another day. Self destruction comes in many forms. Like drug-use and alcohol abuse. I know I've heard you talk about those two a good bit."

Reno shrugged. "Yeah, but I do that to have a good time. Not like I'm tryin' to kill myself."

"It sort of kills the person inside a little at a time when you do that. And when you know you're in pain but you try to drink to make the voices go away, it doesn't help at all. And when you take the drugs that are found in the slums, that sure as hell doesn't help. Some of those MAKE you hear voices that you don't wanna hear."

"I didn't come here to be lectured on the safety of drugs and alcohol or my lack of safety when it comes to me takin' shit like that. I'm not gonna stop for a lot of reasons. None of your concern. So don't worry about me."

She glared at Reno. "Someone needs to worry about you, if you don't worry for yourself. I mean, where will you end up?"

"I was fished off of the streets of the slums. How could I sink lower? You know, I'm not very high on the list of most important people. In ShinRa I'm still considered street trash just like every other poor bastard that came off of the streets to do something for the 'boss'. It doesn't change, no matter how much you clean up or no matter how hard you try and adjust your suit and tie. Why care about your appearance and your health? I say I won't have a lot of time on this planet as it is, why not have a hell of a good time livin' while I still can? Fuck status. I can do what I want the way I am. I don't need status and I don't need anyone to look after me. If I can't look after myself by now, maybe I need to die."

"Is that what you thought back in the warehouse, Reno?" The man went silent for a few moments. "I know it wasn't, because I saw your eyes when you woke up. You were begging silently for someone to save you. I was the only one there to save you, and I know you're thankful for it. You might not say it, but you need someone. Everyone needs someone. Why not let me help you instead of trying to discourage me?"

"Cuz it just ain't right. I mean, if you help me, who'll help you?"

"Why can't you help me? We can help each other." Her voice took on a quiet tone as she tied off the bandage she'd been messing with near his shoulder. "I mean, what's wrong with helping one another? It isn't often that a person would get to do a good deed by helping. So let's make the most of our opportunities, why don't we?" He caught the ghost of a smile on her face as she tilted her head downward to stare at the ground.

"Cute, but really, why not let me help you and myself?" Tasha raised a brow at him as she looked back up toward his face. Reno grinned and continued. "I mean, if I can help you then I can damn well help myself in the end. Because helping you would mean helping myself by being able to help you, therefore we all come out as winners, eh?"

"Well, I can most certainly say you've got a good idea. But you have to get yourself clean before you can help anyone, muchless me or yourself."

"Pfft. Clean? What do you mean by that?"

"I can tell by your eyes that you're an alcoholic."

"Oh, bull. You cannot."

"I bet I can. Look at the way your eyes are glowing. Most of the stuff the slums has mako by-products. You can't tell me that you don't drink for that. That's the only reason anyone would drink in the slums. Otherwise, you'd be going to the Turtle's Paradise and anywhere else with a good bar. Hell, I heard Kalm has a great bar. It's just the matter that you get the drugs AND alcohol here together in one shot."

Reno glared over at her. "You can't prove shit."

"I know I can. Because you just admitted it when you looked at me. You can't overcome your problems until you acknowledge them, Ren."

"What if I don't wanna overcome 'em?"

"Well, that all comes back to you not loving yourself enough to do it. I have to say that I'm surprised at someone like you. I would've thought that you'd love your job and want to keep it. Doesn't ShinRa check employees for drugs?"

"They don't check the Turks. I mean, c'mon. We're not meant to do paperwork, we're meant to bump people off. Why would they check us for drugs?" He lowered his head. "We had drug tests when we first joined the Turks. That was to establish what kind of drugs we'd taken and what kind of effect they could have on our bodies while we were on the job. What else do we need? If we go on a rampage and start killing, what the hell does it matter? ShinRa doesn't care as long as we get our job done and do it right. Meaning bump off the person that we had to eliminate. There isn't really another reason for the Turks, babe."

"I think that's really sad. Even your place of work doesn't care enough about you to try and get you help."

Reno glared at her, getting tired of the current topic. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Fine. Where do you think Rude and Elena are?"

"They're probably on the top plate somewhere. Knowing them, they're hot on our trails, just can't find us yet. They'll find us eventually, so don't worry about it. We just have to make sure that nothing kills us before they find us. Else ShinRa won't be too happy. I might be able to get you a job if you need one."

He smiled at Tasha, who only shook her head. "Maybe… May-be."

**In the same sector of the slums…**

"You know, we have to find them somewhere eventually. We have to bump into them at least once."

"We haven't seen Reno in a week. Is that bad?"

"I think so. I mean, if we haven't seen him in a week, the boss is probably freakin' out cuz he hasn't seen him in a longer period of time. We really gotta find the red-headed bastard."

"You think he'll be found alive?"

"I'm really starting to wonder. I mean, everything seems so fucked up. Could he really be alive? I'm starting to doubt it, 'Lena. If we find him alive, it'll surprise the hell outta me. Gangsters don't usually leave their rape victims alive for long after they've spoiled 'em. The worst thing about this is that Rufus is gonna make a huge joke out of it and try to make Reno laugh it off when I know the kid ain't going to. Well, if he IS alive, that is."

"That's really cold. I have to admit, I'm getting kind of worried about him. I hope we find him alive. As much as he irritates the hell out of me, I don't think I could bear going to work without seeing him in the mornings. Who else is going to fix my coffee the way that I like it?"

"Is that all you miss him for?"

"Not really. I miss the arguments and stuff, too. I mean, he had good points. Sometimes he would actually make me think. So, he was smarter than the average guy, you know?"

"Reno had a lot of street smarts. He had to be smarter than the average guy just to survive in the slums. If he could get away from the bastard then he would probably make it out alive. If he isn't free from his clutches by now then he can kiss his sweet ass goodbye, more than likely."

Staring ahead, Rude narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses. His eyes focused on two people that were sitting on the ground talking. One was a woman, he could tell by the figure, but he wasn't so sure about the other. The slim form sort of gave the impression of a woman, but the absence of curves made him second-guess that. However, when he spied the flaming red hair, he knew exactly who it was. Rude's mouth dropped open as he stared at his friend.

"Well well, I guess they did walk up on us, eh?"

"Get away from him now." Rude pulled a gun on Tasha, pointing it at her. "Step away from our friend and keep your hands where I can see 'em, else I'll blow you away. Don't think I won't."

"You needa relax sometimes. I mean, I know I'm beautiful and all and I need a personal guard, but you ain't gotta pull guns on pretty girlies. Especially ones that helped me escape from certain doom. I mean, look at that face. Don't you wanna take it home?" Tasha shot him a glare and sort of put her hands in front of her, so that Rude could see them.

Rude rolled his eyes behind his sunglasses. "You jackass, you made us worry."

"Awww, someone cares about me after all, eh Tasha?"

"I told you that you were important, but no, you didn't believe me, did you? Huh huh? You need to stop destroying yourself and work on getting yourself clean, like I said."

"Oh, don't bring that shit up again. I'm tired of he-"

Elena stepped forward. "Can it, both of you. We need to get you out of here, Reno." She stepped closer to the two to look at the cuts and bruises Reno had suffered all over. "You look like you've been hit by a freight train, Ren. By the spirits, you're so damn lucky you're alive."

"Yeah, and we've got people followin' us too. So we need to get outta here, like you said. Well? C'mon baldy, carry me."

Rude shot him a glare, but leaned over and picked his wounded friend up. Now it was only back to the top plate and everything would be okay. Or so they thought. As they were walking, things definitely looked like they were going to get better.


	8. Of Age and Bullets

_This chapter was written at three AM in the morning with a storm rolling in. Yes, aren't I creative? When you can't sleep for fear of storms, you improvise and make the most of the situation. Or at least, I do that anyway. I tend to write when the weather is bad, or when I'm bored. So this might be good, might not be. All depends on what hinge my mind was swinging on at the time. Enjoy._

White. Nothing but white. Reno tasted the feeling of having not eaten in a few days then having been tormented with 'healthy' food. Hospital food. Specifically, ShinRa Hospital Infirmary food. The man found himself craving his old fair, though he hadn't really eaten all that much to start with. Groaning, he shifted from laying on his back to on his right side. There, he found something a lot more attractive to look at than white curtains. Tasha, was sitting in a chair not five feet away, sleeping her heart out as she waited for him to wake up. Reno's heart thumped louder as he looked at her, and he kind of stared in disbelief. She was still there? Why was she there? She wasn't supposed to care for him, he wasn't supposed to care for her. Growling, he kind of shifted and turned onto his other side, placing his back toward her. There, he didn't like the sight he saw either. A grinning Rude stood there, waiting for Reno to acknowledge him.

"You jackass, why'd you bring me here?"

"Nowhere else to bring you, kiddo. Want some real food?" He was holding a brown bag, which Reno had neglected to see earlier. "You look like you could stand it, as bone thin as you are. You need to eat, Ren, else you might not have a vein for 'em to stick a needle into."

When Rude handed the brown sack over, he had to look twice. Reno DEVOURED his food. The burger was gone in one minute, the fries only took thirty seconds. Rude stared at his young friend as if he was horrified. "… Hungry. Sorry." Reno sipped the soda that Rude had handed out to him.

"God damn, kid, do you CHEW?"

"Not when I haven't eaten anything decent in a week. The shit they feed people here ought to be outlawed. I swear, I almost tossed it all when they brought in fuckin' steamed broccoli."

"Heh. Chicks dig guys who can snarf down a plate of broccoli in under three seconds, Ren."

"I don't give a fuck what they like. I hate green stuff. If I'd been meant to eat veggies, I wouldn't have teeth to tear meat with."

"You didn't have a problem with the tomato and lettuce on that burger."

"Nah, it was slathered in ketchup and mayonnaise. You know me well, don't you big guy?"

"Yeah, and I thought for a few days we might never see you again." Rude sat down in a chair near the bed. "Do you realize how lucky you are to have gotten away from him? Not many people can get away from a monster like that. It's something that I am amazed with. The only reason you survived is because of that girl right there." He pointed at the still-sleeping Tasha. "Now isn't it true she got you out alive? We've heard the story from her."

"Man, I thought I was gonna die. I've never met a chick like her. I remember waking up in a strange bed and she was there like 'oh no, I have to help you cuz it's my duty and shit'." Rude was amused by Reno's high pitched imitation voice that he used for Tasha. "And she bandaged me up and got me outta there. I still can't believe some of the things happened the way they did…" His face sort of fell as he thought about the pain, torment and humiliation the drug lord had put him through. The humiliation hurt him worse than anything, he figured. The guy had been so casual about stripping away every element of manliness that Reno possessed. The bastard had an ass whipping coming to him if Reno ever caught him again.

"So what're we going to do now, and by the way, how are you feelin', kiddo?"

"Like fresh shit."

"Well, that's very comforting. You must be hurting everywhere."

"EVERYWHERE… And I do not omit body parts. Even my eyes hurt. I just wanna curl up and sleep for five years and never have to worry about anything else when I wake up." He curled up on his side again, red hair falling over his face as he did.

Rude sighed and adjusted his sunglasses. "I knew this was going to be a problem. You're no less of a man, Ren." The red-head didn't answer, just closed his eyes tightly to stem sudden tears provoked from his thoughts. "He did this shit to break you down, try and make you talk about something. And I know what he tried to make you talk about, cuz Tasha's already told me. You're a damn good Turk, else you would've spilled everything you possibly knew about that materia. Rufus knows you didn't talk, too. We've already reported to him and given him your medical report. He knows everything."

Reno flinched and started to sob harder. That just meant things were going to spread around the building. And he had a hard time before? He knew Rufus was going to have a field day with the information and make it spread around like a disease. It was inevitable, and Reno figured that if he didn't show his face outside of the hospital room, he wouldn't have to deal with it. "You brought me food…soda…everything but sake?" His voice cracked at the end, causing him to feel like even less of a man and more of a teenager.

"Eh, tried to sneak some in, but it's against doctor's orders. No sake, no alcoholic beverages for a good week or more. Ren, this is serious, plus we're not through with the case yet. You have to be in tip top condition when you get outta here and that means not having you high or drunk or both. You may not think we need you, but we do. You're our leader, though we don't act like it much. You're so much of a friend that we have no need to act like it most of the time. You're pouting, Reno. Stop it, seriously."

Rude knew the young man had every right to pout, and Reno was going to do it until he either felt better or was released from the Infirmary's care. Turning over onto his stomach, Reno laid with his pillow against his chest, chin resting against the top portion of it as he stared at the floor. "Look on the bright side. Ren, you got a girl sitting next to you."

"It's about time you came outta the closet, Rude."

Rude frowned and glared, ready to smack Reno as hard as he could. "No, you dumbass. On the other side of the bed. I know you saw her, cuz I saw a glimmer in your eyes when you looked at her. You can't fool me, you bastard, I know you like her. Else you wouldn't have protected her when I pulled a gun on her."

"Well, she's kinda hot. And you wouldn't want a dead hot girl on your hands, cuz then that would just be a waste of resources. They just don't make 'em like that no more, you know?"

"Eh… No comment." He gave a small smile and adjusted his sunglasses again. "She's been sitting there for three days, waiting for you to wake up. What happened, bud? You just sorta blacked out when I picked you up."

"Shock, stress, pain. I don't know what made me black out. I just know the peace and quiet felt so good. I felt like I did when I cut my wrists one time. I just knew I was gonna spiral down into that black crevice I was seeing… I saw it, and it was so close. I don't know why I was pulled back away from it." He rubbed over old scars on his wrists as he talked. Rude frowned. Reno was notorious for many things, including being suicidal. He knew the recent rape would probably make it worse in a couple of months, if not days or weeks. "I just wish I'd had taken the plunge and seen what was at the bottom of the crack in the ground, you know?"

"Sounds scary to me, Reno. How could you ever stomach trying to kill yourself?"

"Ever had the pain become unbearable? Like a million needles piercing into your very existence each and every day? I feel constant pain. I don't know why."

"Physical pain?"

"Yes. Physical and mental pain. I hear voices telling me to do this and do that, but there's one really distinctive voice among them all that scares me more than anything. She's calm and calculated, and she keeps trying to get me to put the knife down whenever I start carving on myself and talk to her."

"Do you know what kinda voice it is?"

"I have absolutely no clue. I can't remember, and I don't think I wanna know. It's… So scary. I'm scared whenever I hear that voice, because I feel like I'm going to lose it. The threads are gonna snap one day, and I'm going to hurt someone. What do I do when that happens, Rude? Do I just stand back and look at the destruction I've caused, or do I paint the wall with my brains, finally?"

"Ren… You got some problems, bud, but they can be worked out. The threads ain't going to snap, and you're not going to hurt anyone… You're just an innocent guy that got the wrong deal in life. You got a bad hand and you can't help it. You gotta play your cards in a way that helps you and others."

"There are no good plays left. I'm out, I guess."

"When that happens, you'll know, I've been told. And it isn't questionable, you just know."

"Nice, really."

"Problems don't solve themselves, Reno. Ever taken medica-"

"Don't you dare say that fuckin' word. Drugs are my medication, and I don't need anything else to take me through it. I've never needed anything else in the past, so I don't need the shit now. Medication is what started it, I think. I can't remember anything but needles. Needles left and needles right. Pain, pricks, drawing of blood. Shit that a kid shouldn't go through. So fuck you if you wanna talk about meds. I don't do crazy pills."

"Ren, you're being ridiculous."

"Fuck you." His attitude got very pronounced, an invisible wall of anger rising between the two men. Rude sighed softly and shook his head, taking a seat again. He'd just been trying to help, but it only resulted in Reno getting even more upset with himself and with the world around him. He could feel the tension in the air.

"Mmm… Reno, what'cha PMSing about now?" Tasha's soft voice came from the chair at the side of the room as she opened her eyes. "I know it's gotta be something. You've got that cute little pout on your face." Reno shot her a glare that would've melted ice. "Whoa, no reason to get hostile. Fine, I can see if I'm not wanted… Just waiting for you to wake up, you know?" Her voice singsonged playfully as she stepped up next to the bed, closer to the patient. "Oh, I know what would fix you right up. You want me to wear a nurse's costume? Bet I could find one." She giggled, but it only resulted in Reno pulling the covers over his head to brood, though his mind really did consider the aspect of Tasha in a nursing outfit.

"Eh, it's his time of the month, it appears. He always gets this way when you start talkin' about meds and shit."

A muffled reply came out of the covers and mass of pillows. "Cuz I don't need crazy pills, I need a knife."

"Come off of it."

"Fuck you."

"That's your answer for everything."

"It works for everything. Including pretty girls, though I wouldn't classify you as pretty or as a girl. Maybe a dyke, but not a babe most definitely, baldy."

Rude rolled his eyes. "You're so damn stupid sometimes."

"I know, it's what makes me lovable."

Tasha rolled her eyes and shifted her weight to one side. "Meh. You two are boring. I think I want to go shopping… It was really nice of that blond bastard to give me a reward for catching you, Reno. I can't believe he rewards people for snagging his own Turks."

"Cuz he's a dumbass."

"Either way, I'm going shopping. I'm going to take Elena with me, so you might not find her around, Rude. Seeya, Renny-kun." She smiled and leaned over, poking the blankets toward wherever his side would be. He grunted in response. "My, aren't we lovely when we haven't had coffee? G'bye."

With that, the woman skipped out of the room to go find Elena. "She's too damn cheerful."

"And you're too damn depressing. You need to cheer up. You've got a long life ahead of you, kid, and you need to enjoy it." Rude reached out and pulled the blanket away from him softly. "You look like your best friend died sometimes, and the last I checked, I'm still alive and kickin'." He spared a small smile at the red-head as Reno turned onto his back to look at him. "You can get women hanging all over you. I don't know what's wrong with your mood at times."

"I just feel so lonely, you know? It's like everything fades away. It all turns white. Nothing matters and nothing stays, so why stay for the world?"

"You mean why keep yourself sane? That's easy, so you won't kill yourself before the red in your hair has a chance to either start falling out or turn gray."

"That's right, just gimme another reason. I dun wanna turn old. You know I'll be turning twenty six soon?"

"Well, kiddo… I'm thirty eight. I'll be turning thirty nine soon."

"I don't wanna turn old. I'm almost THIRTY, GOD DAMNIT!" Reno snatched his pillow over his head and almost wept. "I don't wanna be thirty, cuz that means I'm nearing the end of youth, and the end of youth means rejection. Rejection means no one wants you anymore, no matter how charismatic you are or how much you smile and play. They only see that you look older…"

"You look like a nineteen year old, Reno. You don't even look twenty one. You know they gotta ID you every time you go to a different bar. Don't you take that as a compliment?" Rude shook his head and ran his fingers over his own sparse beard and mustache. "Hell, I've never even seen you with much facial hair, you little bastard. It's like your body hasn't caught up with your mind."

"I don't like facial hair. So I'm glad I don't grow much. I have stubble… What the hell are you talkin' about?" He rubbed his hands over his chin lightly.

"Pah. Little boy, you couldn't grow a beard if you WANTED to."

"Probably not. I wouldn't doubt that, but it's disgusting. I gotta keep myself smexy for all the women out there, neh?"

Rude smiled down at his friend and reached out, ruffling his hair. "I think you need to aim for Tasha. She likes you, Ren. I can tell by the way you two look at each other, you'd be perfect."

"I dunno… She's really hot and everything, but she reads me too well."

"You need a woman that reads you. If you can't read each other then you won't stay together. Look at me and 'Lena. She knows what I'm going to do before I do it, and sometimes I wish she didn't. But, it keeps mine and her ass out of trouble, you know?"

"I guess."

"Cheer up." He patted Reno on the stomach through the blankets, standing up. "When they let you go and we get the case over and done with, let's head off to a secluded place to drink. The mountains… Beauty for the intoxicated, you know? We can take Tasha with us." He smiled wider as Reno got a slight glow in his eyes. "You know you like her. Don't fight it."

Reno was about to make a reply when gunshots rang through the area beyond his room. Rude stared at the door as the red-head sat up in bed, about to throw the covers off. "Shooting in ShinRa HQ? What the hell is Midgar coming to?"

"Criminals are getting dumber and dumber."

"You stay here, kiddo. I'm gonna go check it out." Rude pulled his gun out of his jacket as a backup for his fists, moving toward the door.

Reno watched him leave, but a voice inside his head seemed to be tugging at him. _Going to let him show you up? What if someone you care for is hurt? Heheh. You're such a sissy, Reno._

"Shut the fuck up. I'm goin', and there ain't nothin' he can do to stop me!" With that, Reno got up, located the clothing that Elena had left for him when she had been there earlier, put them on and headed out of the room.


	9. Holding My Last Breath

_This story won't end here. It's leading into something. See, Becca and myself have an RP going. And since I'm notorious for writing things that appear in our RP, I'm going to sort of blend a little bit of the original RP with this story. I won't get every detail right, won't hit every detail, but I'll try and get close. By the way, I wrote this chapter the same day I wrote last chapter. So therefore, R&R and know that this ain't the end, by far. Enjoy!_

People were screaming, running. Terrified, many of them were looking for places to go despite the fact that the terrorists had overrun the building. Rude stepped out of the hospital room, his eyes taking the scene in. Blood and broken glass was everywhere, bodies already scattered around the floor as the men waded through the sea of frightened ShinRa employees. Rude somehow knew what they were coming for. He knew that Reno was the target and he also knew that he wasn't about to let the younger man get hurt. He stepped away from the room and toward the men, gun raised quickly as he fired a shot at one of them. The bullet hit the man in the chest, causing him to yelp and fall flat to the floor.

Tasha frowned as she knelt next to the infirmary admission table with Elena. "What the hell are we going to do?"

"I'm going to help Rude. You're going to go to the room with Reno so you won't get hurt."

"But I can help!"

"This isn't your job. You need to protect him, since he's already come this far. Reno's hurt, you need to make sure he doesn't get hurt any more than he already is. He's stupid, and he'll get up out of bed to try and help us when he has no business walking right now." She shoved Tasha toward the row of rooms. "Go on and stay with him. He would probably enjoy company right now anyway."

Tasha stared at her as if she was insane, yet started toward the rooms. Bullets were whizzing every which way around her, ricocheting off of the metallic walls and shattering glass. She shielded her face more than once from the sharp, clear substance as the shards rained down onto the floor. Tasha was lost in the hail of gunfire, couldn't help but look around at what was happening. Rude and Elena were exchanging fire with the criminals as more and more of them poured in. "Oh god… We're all gonna fuckin' die." She snatched the door open, only to run head-first into Reno. "What the hell are you doing out of bed? You need to lie back down!"

"Not while they're in danger. Get your ass in the room and don't come out." He tried to snatch Tasha into the room, but she set her weight against the floor and snatched against him. "Come on, don't be so god damn stubborn!"

"Nah uh! If you don't stay protected, I don't stay protected. I don't want you getting hurt after I hauled your ass all the way around and kept you safe."

"Oh, you know you love me. It's the charm, ain't it?" Glass shattered to the side as a bullet barely missed them. It rained down on top of their heads as they shielded their eyes from it. "Come on, get your ass in the room. Don't argue with me, woman!" He pulled at her again, and that time she didn't protest. Reno had to look twice to see why. Almost immediately, he spotted one reason. Her eyes had gone wide with fear as blood seeped out of her abdomen from a gaping bullet wound. His eyes went wide as he spotted blood, but then noticed that her entire body was being littered with bullets. Snatching her out of the way, he bit his bottom lip as he felt a white-hot chunk of metal slam into his leg. He tried his best to ignore it as he slammed the door shut, sitting down on the floor with Tasha safely in the room.

"I-…"

"What the hell? I thought they were after me, not you."

"Th-they're after both of us, probably."

"Cuz you helped me escape?" He got quiet as he ran his fingers softly through her hair. Blood was seeping out of the corners of her mouth and from her nose as she stared up at him. "Man, if I'd have known this was going to happen, I'd have never left with you. Damnit…"

"It don't matter now. Things happen cuz they happen, Reno. I dunno what's going to happen now, but I just want you to try and make it. I mean, wouldn't my effort have gone to waste if you didn't try to live for me?" She managed a small smile through the pain, though she felt her entire body start to go numb. "What happens now? I'm scared." Tears started to well in her eyes, coming to a breaking point and dripping down her face.

"Don't be scared. Ain't nothin' gonna happen. Everything's going to be okay."

"Is this what death feels like?"

"Death? What are you talkin' about? You ain't dyin'. You can't die yet, cuz you ain't kissed me. And you know the princess has to kiss the charming prince… Or was it the other way around?"

Tasha smiled up at him weakly as she held his hand. Reno didn't even notice the gunfire halting as he stared down into her face. "I'm so scared. Please don't leave me. Don't let me go alone, what if it's so black and cold that I forget everyone and everything? What if I can't get back to you?"

Reno had to swallow hard as he held her head in his lap. "You won't forget me. No one can forget me, I'm too much of a smartass. I piss people off too much for 'em to forget me. 'Sides, we ain't even gone on a date yet. I haven't gotten the chance to give you chocolates or do something stupid so that you could be mad at me for a week. Ain't that what women love to do?"

"I couldn't stay mad at you for a week. Hold me…"

The red-head was surprised as he felt his heart starting to hurt. He continued to stroke his fingers through her hair, holding her very close so as to keep her warm. "All women get pissed off sometime or another. It's the little things that make you love someone."

"Like the way a person doesn't think very highly of themselves? Or maybe the way a man doesn't know how valuable he is until someone around him tells him he is?" Her eyes met his again as she slowly lost the smile on her face. "Cuz you're valuable to me. Did you know that? You mean something to me. I wish I could've told you sooner." She gave a dry sob, squeezing her eyes shut tightly as her mind started to cloud over. "Don't forget me, please? Live for me."

"O-okay…" The thought of living scared him. Then again, the thought of her dying scared him more. He squeezed her tightly as he listened to her ragged breaths. The seconds that passed seemed like hours as they cried against each other, tears mixing with blood and dripping down onto the floor. Reno could've sworn eternity passed before he felt her heart get weaker and heard her breathing stop. Her head rocked back limply against him as he held her, hoping that it was all a dream. "I'll wake up… Please god, let me wake up…" He sat there listening to his own breathing, feeling her warm hands, trying to make her wake up.

The door slowly cracked open, a displeased Rude peeking in. He saw the pool of blood around the two, his brows furrowing as he knew what had happened. It was over before it had began.

**Three weeks later…**

The swirling brink of reality closed in upon the young man as he stared at the ceiling. So empty, so alone. Things didn't matter much anymore. When you fell hard, you fell hard, and he hadn't been able to get up off of his knees. The drugs seemed to sharpen the pain, bring it into light so that he could examine it more. Love hurt like hell, and he'd been cut to pieces by the death. Well, literally and figuratively. His arms were amass with cuts, scars, bandages. Rude had taken his knives away countless times, but it didn't matter. He could always find more. They were readily available to a Turk, and he knew that he might lose that title as well if everything kept spiraling downward. As hard as he tried, he couldn't make the room be still. The aches in his body went deeper than physical. He felt raw internally; his heart ached to feel her touch again, just to see her smile again. Every minute of his existence was pure pain.

"Reno, god damnit… This can't keep going on." Reno shifted as he heard the deep voice of his best friend and brother. "How in the fuck do you do this to yourself? Holy shit, you're going to bleed to death if you don't stop this." Strong arms lifted him from the bed, holding him close as the knife was taken out of his hand for the third time that day. "How do you keep finding them?" Reno recalled himself trying to speak, but he only heard a loud buzz in the back of his brain. "You high bastard, you need to stop punishing yourself."

_I know I do. What does it matter anymore? No one cares as much as she did, and now I know. Why couldn't she have told me from the start? I coulda protected her. I coulda got her out of there sooner. I'm so damn stupid._

"What are you going to do, Reno? You can't keep going like this." He recalled himself being carried to the bathroom. The cold chill of air hit his skin as Rude slowly undressed him, the sound of running water coming somewhere in the background. "You're going to kill yourself one day, and then where will we be? You ain't done shit but drink and take drugs since the funeral. Move on, you stupid bastard." He could sense the irritation in his friend's voice, despite the fact that he was as high as a cloud. Reno knew Rude was worried for him, and that was what made Reno feel even worse.

_Fuckin' worthless… Can't take care of anyone. Friends, family, brother, sister. Rude and Elena are worried about how pathetic I'm being. They don't see how badly I wanna go. Just let me go, please let me go. _

Reno flinched when hot water hit his skin as he was lowered down in the tub. Blood tainted the water pink as the older man washed Reno's arms and legs, even the portion of his stomach that had cuts across it. "These are going to scar. What are you going to do in a couple of years?"

_Maybe I won't be alive in a couple of years. Maybe I can starve myself to death. They can't make me eat, can they?_

"I swear to god, if you don't straighten up and sober up, I'm gonna stick your ass in a drug rehab center. Damnit, we don't wanna lose you. Why do you punish yourself?"

Once again, Reno didn't answer intelligibly. His mind was buzzing with his own thoughts, though. _I punish myself because I don't deserve to live a normal life. No one wants me but you guys, only cuz you see how bad I wish to let go. You pity me, and I don't need pity. Why can't you just let me go?_

"We love you, Reno, why can't you just let go of the pain and move on? Kid, I'm so scared for you. I know it hurts, but you gotta get through this. I dunno what we'd do without you." The washcloth was soft against the red-head's raw and bloody skin, washing away the crusted over blood that had dried against each of the older cuts. "Damnit, some of 'em are infected…"

_So that's why I felt so odd this morning. Infected? Nice. I hear if you get too high of a fever you might never wake up. Let's try that._

"We've been talkin' with Rufus. You're going to come with us to the mountains. We're going to try and get you cleaned up. The materia's been destroyed. You ain't got shit to worry about now, because the drug lord is supposedly moving on. We never got him, you know? But it don't matter, as long as he stays away from you." Rude pulled Reno against his chest, trying to wash one of the larger, sheered open cuts along his stomach. "Were you trying to gut yourself?"

He didn't say anything else as he was finishing the bath up. When the water felt ice cold, Rude picked Reno up from the water, the droplets rolling off of his skin and falling back into the bathtub as he wrapped a towel around him. He tossed him over his shoulder after he dried his hair the best he could, carrying him back into the main bedroom to lay him down on the bed. The soft sheets comforted the raw heat of his body as Rude tended to the cuts one by one, applying medicine to make them heal faster and bandaging them.

Reno felt the high going away, depression settling over him once again. He heard himself mumble something that he couldn't quite understand.

"The resort is in the mountains. You ain't gonna have any sake and sure as hell ain't gonna have any drugs. We're still going to be on duty in case anything happens, but it's what you would call a vacation. We can't have you running around endangering our lives and your own. You gotta buck up again, kiddo. Become the leader again. We'll help you through this, Ren."

Reno sighed as he closed his eyes, feeling his head nod a little. As Rude started to put clean clothes on him, he dropped off into a fitful sleep, unaware of what would probably happen in his future.


	10. Unexpected Company

_Hi. This is the first chapter that's coming from the RP between myself and Becca (MatronRaenee). The first half of it (the part before Reno meets Yuffie) was never RPed, only assumed, so I had to write in parts. The dialogue will not be exactly the same, as I don't have all of the RP files, but the scenes and the general idea of the stories are the same. R&R and enjoy. _

"Why do you have to bitch and gripe every damn time we start to go somewhere?"

"Why do you have to be such a bitch?"

"Because you make me that way!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"I HATE YOU TOO!"

Rude winced at the male and female voice, one screeching from his right ear, one screeching from the back seat. Reno and Elena never got along very well, but lately things had been very strained. "Dunno why I bothered to come. This is some bull shit."

"Cuz your high ass needed a break. So shut the fuck up and be happy, god damnit!"

"Fuck you and your little idea of a trip." He was already shaking from withdrawals, even Rude could see that from the driver's seat. The ShinRa car that they borrowed bounced along merrily, whipping along the back roads as Rude drove them up into the mountains. There, a small cabin awaited them where they would be on call, but still have time to relax. It was part of Reno's 'rehabilitation' that Rufus had suggested. Rude knew he probably wouldn't last through the vacation, of course. Not without harming Elena. Of course, he was very near to harming both of them.

"Butt face."

"Fucktard."

"Ass wipe."

"Chlamydia-stricken whore."

"OOOOOOOOOOOH, YOU GOTTA GO WITH THE STDS, DON'T YOU?"

"Shut the fuck up for once."

Rude's eye twitched behind his sunglasses as he gritted his teeth. His head was throbbing and he had the desire to tell them both to shut the hell up. He took a sharp right turn, the car's tires screeching as he barely missed a chipmunk while rounding the corner. "Damn, babe, you trying to kill us?" Elena frowned over at him.

"Nah. Tryin' to get you both to shut the hell up."

"It's his fault. He never shut his big yap long enough to go anywhere. Oh, wait… He doesn't WANNA go anywhere; he wants to sit in his room and take his happy pills and drink his ass off until he dies, isn't that right?"

"You drive me to drinking, you ugly blonde bitch."

"Oh, so now it's my fault? I can't help you're an alcoholic and a user."

"Get a face implant, you might help it."

"Don't make me separate you two." Rude sighed as he slammed on the brakes, the car stopping so sharply that it slung Reno against the back of Rude's seat. Elena was wearing her seatbelt, so she gasped as it caught her. "I'm tired of hearing you two argue. All you do is bitch and gripe. Elena, shut the fuck up and leave him alone. Reno, ignore her. You two are always at each others' throats. Can't you grow up for once?" The car got very silent as Reno pouted and crossed his arms over his chest. He glared out of the window, not saying another word to Elena. Elena turned the other way and crossed her legs as she sat there. "That's better." The car started moving again.

**Somewhere in the forest near the cabin…**

The crumbling of leaves upset some squirrels as a small woman and a larger form stumbled through the dead foliage. Giggling was heard as the female form reached out and tugged at her boyfriend's hand, leading him through the forest. "Vinny, where are we going to camp?" The Wutainese accent gave her away immediately. Yuffie bounced along the path, looking this way and that. She couldn't figure out why forest animals ran in terror.

Vincent smiled sagely and shook his head. The affectionate way he looked at the teenager seemed to say everything. His moon, sun and stars, right? "I don't know… We could camp anywhere you want."

"I wanna go exploring!"

"Just don't get off of the path, okay? We have to choose a camp site first. Make sure it's easy to locate."

Yuffie wrinkled her nose at Vincent. "Why? Ninjas don't get lost in the forest!" She posed all 'cool ninja' like and then giggled. "We're masters of the forest realm, because we're quiet and sneaky and stuff. Rawr." She continued to walk along the path, hyperly talking at the top of her lungs to Vincent, who only smiled and kept up with her. What an unusual couple… Then again, Vincent had been aware of that when he'd started going out with her.

"Well, ninjas might not get lost in the forest, but I do. I'm not good with wildlife."

"Nah. You'll be fine. Besides, we needed this to relax, right?" Twirling, Yuffie finally stopped a few feet from the path and started to jump up and down excitedly. "Right heeeeeere! We gotta camp here. It's pretty." She put her hands behind her back and looked up through the tree limbs as sunlight glittered off of the leaves of the trees. "I can tell this is a good spot."

Vincent nodded and plopped his large pack down. "Alrighty. How about you go scout for some water and I'll set up the tent, Miss Ninja?" He raised a brow as Yuffie posed once again, then ran off. "REMEMBER TO KEEP ON THE PAAAAAAATH!" Yuffie barely heard him as she stumbled off through the forest.

**In front of the cabin…**

"Damnit, it's too bright."

"You need bright, Ren. You're going to smile and be happy, or else." The man smiled, then went blank as he watched the younger guy. He opened the trunk of the car and started to unload their things, taking them into the cabin. Elena was looking around toward the edge of the forest, but Reno was just standing there.

The bright atmosphere made him cringe. Frowning, Reno stared down at the ground and kicked at a tuft of grass. "This is some bull shit… I wanna go home." He sat down on the ground and pulled his knees up to his chest, watching as Elena squealed over some flowers that were growing underneath one large tree. "Stuck with a bumbling blonde idiot and a guy that's hell bent on keeping me alive… This is going to be a bitch of a month." The sun shone down on him, causing the red-head to frown even more. He felt like curling up in a ball and sulking, or maybe finding a dark crack to hide in. It was too early for him. He wasn't ready for this.

"Reno, get your ass up and make the most of this. C'mon, kiddo. You need to stop pouting." Rude plucked Reno up by the collar and set him on his feet, nudging him toward the cabin. "It's nice here. You'll be fine. I promise it won't kill you."

Reno scowled. "Oh, joy." The sarcasm ran rampant in his voice as Rude shoved him toward the cabin. "I feel like a fuckin' prisoner."

"I can treat you like one, you know?"

"Minus the cavity search, I hope."

"You're disgusting sometimes."

Reno smiled at him sadly. "I try my best." He entered the cabin, flipping on the light switch. It was nice and tidy, four beds scattered around the large room. There was a walk-in closet and a spacious kitchen on one end. Joy. Reno wanted to die and Rufus wanted them to move there to live. The red-head rolled his eyes. Rude and Elena strolled in after him, carrying bags.

"Well, what do you think, Ren?"

"Can I hang myself now?"

"No, fucktard, but you can go find some water."

Reno's eyes went wide. "Whoa whoa… Hol' up. They ain't got fuckin' running WATER up here?"

"Nope. Go find the stream and bring us back a bucket of water. Or better yet, just explore. Get in touch with nature…and if you find any mako pools, you'd best not touch 'em, kid." Rude shot him a grin and picked an empty bucket up off of the floor, throwing it dead-center of Reno's chest. The man caught it with a grunt and then frowned. He just turned and walked out of the cabin.

"Stupid vacation… Stupid life… STUPID SHINRA!" Reno dropped the bucket and kicked it over against a tree. The bucket didn't splinter, fortunately, but Reno found himself wanting to stomp it into oblivion. Shoving his hands into his pants pocket, he scuffled stormily into the forest. His leg was still hurting slightly from the bullet wound that he'd sustained a month back; therefore he had a small limp to his gait. It wasn't enough to hinder his movement when he REALLY had the motivation to move, but it was enough to be slightly noticeable. Of course, Reno limped without thinking as well, since he'd been so used to it over the month that he'd to do it to keep from screaming in bitter anguish and pain.

Stepping into the forest, Reno immediately shunned the path, the adventurer he was. He headed right into the eastern section of the forest to look for something. Wild animal, poisonous berries, Michael Jackson, he would take anything that had the chance of giving him a slow, painful death. (Disclaimer: I do not own Michael Jackson, so don't sue me.) Instead, he found the thing he was least looking forward to. There was a girl, wailing her ass off in the middle of the forest floor. The squeaky tone to her voice gave her away immediately, made the red-head wish that Rude hadn't taken his favorite switch blade away. Yuffie whimpered and stared around, shivering. "Waaaaaaaah! VINNY! WHERE ARE YOOOOOOU?" She hadn't seemed to notice that Reno had waked up on her as she was wailing for her companion.

A slow smirk burned its way across his face as his eyes glinted with extreme want to cause someone else displeasure. "Awww, is da wittle neenja wost in da fooooowest?" He taunted her with his voice, a sneer replacing the smirk. "I thought ninjas didn't get lost, you freak?"

Yuffie glared up at him. "Shut the fuck up. I WANT MY VINNY!" She wailed again, causing Reno to cover his ears from the streaks of pain she caused his ear drums. "I went off of the path and got lost from him…" She sniffled and looked up at him, huge eyes shining with tears. It almost made Reno hurl. "Have you seen him, you red-headed bastard?"

"No, and I wouldn't tell you if I did. Poor wittle girl… Isn't it a shame?" He laughed at her misfortune, making her scowl at him. Yuffie was not pleased.

"Where are the other two screw ups?"

"Back at the cabin, where they're probably blissfully making out. Why in the fuck do you care?"

"I was hoping one of you had a cell phone so that I could call Vinny or something. I don't wanna be stuck out here forever."

"Ain't it a pity? I have a cell phone, but I wouldn't let the likes of you touch it."

Yuffie glared up at him. "I can play your game… And I can play it very well, you fucker." Reno figured he'd just made a huge mistake, and he might've been right.


	11. Drugs, Booze, Anything Please

_Once again, continuing the story from the RP. Yuffie is going to become a main character in the story, as most of you have probably figured out. I'm not going to give out any details, though. R&R!_

"VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNY!" Yuffie whined and yowled out her lover's pet name for the fifth time since Reno had been in the clearing. "I miss yooouuuu!"

"By the mako-driven RAMPAGE, DO YOU EVER SHUT UP!"

"No. Not for people like you, you creep. You won't lemme use your cell phone, you bastard. So I'm going to torment you. VINNY!" Yuffie got on his nerves so badly that Reno's head was spinning. "I miss you, my Vinny, please find me, rescue me from the big bad dumbass Turkey that's being mean to me!"

"Mean to you? Ugh. I walk into the forest, and what do I hear? You, abusing the world's ears. This is supposed to be my vacation. How in the hell did I find you?"

"I dunno. I was here first, though, and I want my Vinny. Go find him." She shooed at Reno to go and do as she said. "The sooner I find Vincent, the sooner I can get out of here." She glared up at him.

"How about….No?"

"How about yes, you freak!"

"No. How in the hell does a ninja get lost anyway?"

Yuffie fidgeted a little bit as she tilted her head and stared down at the forest floor. "Well, I got of the path, and then all of a sudden, trees close in around me. AND I GET LOST! Can you believe it? The humanity… How could adorable me get lost? This forest must be haunted or something, cuz it's been mean to me ever since I got in here." She sniffled. "Please go fiiiiind him."

Reno burst into laughter at her expense. "Fuck you. I don't wanna go find him. Go find him your own damn self."

Tears welled up in Yuffie's eyes and she burst into tears. "But I'll never find him!"

Reno looked around frantically, biting his bottom lip. He never took it well when girls cried, even his enemies. "Uhh… Uhm. Okay.. We'll find him, alright? Just, stop crying? Damn, you hurt my ears."

Yuffie immediately brightened up. "You mean it, you'll find him?" She squealed and bounced up, glomping Reno very roughly. "OOOOOOOOOOH! I ALWAYS THOUGHT YOU WERE ALL BAD!" Reno's eye twitched as she clung to him.

"Get off of me!"

"No. Now go find my Vinny or else."

"Pfft." Reno shoved her away from him. Unfortunately, this caused her ankle to twist when she backed away, and she hit the ground rather hard. Immediately his mind formed an exclamation mark, then a literal --. _No no no no no… Don't tell me now I'm gonna have to keep up wi-_

"Waaah!" Yuffie wailed as she held her ankle. "YOU HURT IT! YOU STUPID BASTARD!" Tears coursed down her face, her sniffles making the squirrels all around scatter. "Why are you so meaaaaan?"

Reno sighed, massaging his temples. "I ought to leave your stupid ass."

"B-but…" Her lip quivered slightly, Yuffie's eyes watering as she sniffled more vigorously. Tears drifted down her face as she stared up at him. "Y-you can't leave me out here. I mean… Vinny doesn't know where I am and I might get eaten or something."

The red-head let a small smile pass over his face. "As loud as you are, I doubt anything would want to eat you. Any creature would go deaf before it even got close." He got a blank look on his face again as he stared down at her ankle. _But you can't just leave her here. God damnit… Why do girls always have to show up in my life? Why can't the world be made up of guys and… Whoa, bad thought. No, no, no… Well… Not so bad, but still… I like my women too much._ Reno sighed softly then shook his head. "Alright. You're comin' with me."

Yuffie stared up at him as if she could throw her arms around him and hug him. "I am?" She squealed and bounced up and down on her bottom, holding her hands out so that he could pick her up. "I'M NOT GOING TO BE EATEN! YAAAAAAAAY!" Her huge brown eyes started to shine up at Reno as he leaned over to pick her up by her arms.

Sighing, the red-head leaned down and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and setting her up-right. "C'mon then. I ain't got all day." He kept one arm wrapped around her as he turned and seemed to naturally lead her back to the cabin. Reno never lost his sense of direction, probably because of the mako in his body that gave him the instincts to know his cardinal directions. He didn't need a compass. He was a walking compass.

**Somewhere in the forest…**

Vincent sniffled as he stared around. "Yuffie?" He frowned and shook his head. "This isn't funny. Yuffie, you need to stop playing around." Fear entered his eyes as he thought of his missing beloved; the second missing beloved! "OH DESPAIR!" He wailed and then freaked out, whipping around the clearing frantically as he searched for any sign of Yuffie, whether it be under rock, behind tree or under piles of dead leaves. "YUFFIE!"

He stopped, the dark man trying to catch his breath. Someone had STOLEN his Yuffie, his prize, his beloved, and they were going to PAY. As soon as he figured out which way was north. Vincent sweatdropped as he realized just how lost he was. "CURSES!" He spat and jumped up and down very irately as he puzzled over where his girlfriend could be and if she was in safe hands.

**Back at the cabin...**

Safe hands indeed. Reno smirked as he ran his hand along her side, squeezing her to him. He was a womanizer, no matter how desperate for death he would get, and he liked the fact that Yuffie seemed to leave herself wide open to his skills. She was squealing and squeaking things to him, mostly things about his cell phone and Vincent and getting home and Vincent and also where the other Turks were. Reno rolled his eyes as he suddenly remembered Rude and Elena. He figured they weren't going to take too kindly to their new visitor.

Stepping up to the door, Reno started to just push it open, then remembered about his 'good friends'. They were very good friends, and the thought that ran across his mind made him shudder. Gingerly, he reached out and knocked on the door. Yuffie stared at him oddly. "You have to knock at your own cabin?"

Reno shot her a glare. "I don't wanna walk into a make-out session, or worse."

"Ooooh… Awww, are they together, Renny-kun?"

Reno's eye twitched. "If you ever call me that again, I'm gonna rip your arm off and beat you with it."

"Yeah right! You can't touch me, I'm KAWAII!" Yuffie squealed and sort of glomped Reno just as the door opened.

Rude stared out at his best friend as he was surrounded by Wutaian girl, squeezed into submission until his face was blood-red. "Damn, Reno. How do you find girls in the woods? Must be a Maenad wandering from her tribe. She's a cute little Maenad, too. Are you gonna pounce around the bonfire with her?"

Reno shot the bald-headed man a glare that would melt the Northern Continent. "Get 'er the fuck off'a me. She-… Crushing…. Windpipe."

"Renny-kun, you're really cute. I gotta admit that." She squealed and then bounced away from Reno, grabbing for Rude. Rude raised a brow. "How in the hell did you find it?"

"I was walkin' in the fuckin' woods, then all of a sudden I heard something wailing. I thought it was a dying animal, so I was gonna put it out of its misery, then I noticed it was an animal with boobs and a loud mouth. I like the boobs, but I wish it didn't have the mouth." Reno and Rude smirked simultaneously. They were obviously going to have some fun with the situation.

Yuffie glared back at them. "Sorry son of a bitches… GIMME YOUR CELL PHONE SO I CAN CALL MY VINNY!"

Elena looked up from the corner at Yuffie. Another girl! She felt relief wash over her as she saw Yuffie. "Ooooh… How did you get here, Yuffie?" She squealed, recalling the time she was trapped on the cliff with her. It hadn't been much, but they'd been in peril together. It was a bond to last a life-time in her opinion, especially since Don Corneo had almost claimed them both. A shudder went through Elena's spine at the thought of that creep touching her.

Yuffie twirled on her good leg and waved at Elena. "Got lost from my boyfriend in the forest. Your resident bastard found me."

"Which one, the bald one or the mako-glimmered one?"

"The doped up one."

"Fuck you, I ain't doped up you little whore."

"You look like a stoner to me." The words echoed in Reno's mind as he glared at Yuffie, then stomped away. "Pfft… What, is he tender about being a stoner? Can't change what he is until he acknowledges it."

The other two Turks were quiet as Reno headed out of the cabin. "Eh… He's touchy about some things. So what do you need?"

Yuffie started to explain the use of the cell phone. Rude shook his head. "Mine's out of area. Reno has a new model, since his got crushed by… Well, on a mission." He remembered that Reno had lost his in the struggle with the drug lord about a month and a half back. Rude and Elena had pitched together and bought him a new cell phone, trying to bribe him into rehabilitating himself. It hadn't worked, unfortunately. They'd let him keep the phone. "You could ask him really nice if he'll let you use his…"

"Pfft… You know Reno won't let me use his phone. He doesn't like me."

"Well, Reno isn't that bad. You just have to get used to him."

"I'd rather gag myself with a jagged stick."

"Suit yourself."

Reno was stomping around outside, trying to rid himself of the anger he felt. Damnit, he was tired of being disrespected and tossed to the side. Not like it mattered… He sulked, sort of hunching down as he thought about her words. _Stoner… That's all I am to everyone. Irritating burden. I bet they're tired of dealing with me anyway._ Reno frowned, finding himself wishing that he had a bottle of alcohol or something on hand to drown the voice. It wouldn't go away and he didn't know why. He would've cried if he had the tears left. Turning, he headed back into the cabin and straight for the small bed he'd claimed in one corner of the cabin.

Yuffie and Elena looked up when he entered, watching the blue-clothed Turk as he headed for the bed. He took his ponytail down and laid out on the bed, allowing his hair to fan out across the pillow and the side as he shut his eyes tightly. Elena nudged Yuffie toward the red-head. "Go on, ask him."

Frowning, the little ninja girl hobbled over to the side of the bed and reached out, poking Reno gently in the ribs. He slowly opened his eyes, looking up at her. The sight of him on the bed sort of made Yuffie blush as she looked straight into his eyes. "What?"

"Uhhh…" The blush got brighter as she stared down at him a few more seconds. "I… was going to ask you if I could use your cell phone. Rude said his was out of range and stuff, so if I could use yours, I could probably get out of here pretty fast and not bother you anymore." She wrung her hands together nervously as the red-head dug his elbow into the mattress, sitting up. He had the feminine curves of a woman, and that seemed to draw Yuffie's eye as he leaned over and rummaged in the bag he'd brought. Yuffie noticed that his hair had a shimmer that she couldn't quite manage when hers had been long. She was almost tempted to reach out and tou-… _What the FUCK am I thinking? Holy shit… No no no no no! I'm in love with VINCENT! Not a little stoner. My god, I think I need something to eat before I start hallucinating and fantasizing. _While Reno was searching for the phone, Yuffie turned and smiled at Elena. "Uhm, got anything to eat?"

Reno rolled his eyes as he continued searching. _Stupid god damn ninjas. Always gotta impose and interrupt. Call me a fuckin' stoner, god damnit… I'm tired of this shit, so why do I take it?_ His face fell again. _Cuz you are a stoner. You dumbass, they're right._ He got a pouty look on his face as he finally wrapped his fingers around the phone, digging a path up through the junk he'd brought with him just to get it out. "This is a brand new phone. You break it and I'll break your ass in two."

Yuffie glared at Reno. "Prick. I'm not gonna break the phone, I'm just gonna use it." Reno turned the phone on and found a signal, holding it out to her. "Thanks, I guess." She glared at Reno, then turned and started to dial Vincent's number. She put the phone to her ear as Reno laid back on the bed again, enjoying the nice warmth of the sunlight that streamed down on him. It was the only perk he had, he figured, so he was going to take advantage of it. He closed his eyes slowly as he got comfortable and everything was quiet. Until an ear-splitting wail interrupted his silent moment. The crunching sound of new technology met his ears over the wail and he growled, sitting up.

"No… Oh GOD! NOOOOO! New phone…" He almost wanted to wail with Yuffie as he stared at the poor phone on the floor where she'd dropped it. "God damn stupid clumsy ass ninja!" Reno rolled over onto his stomach and sighed. "I need a drink…"

Yuffie glared over at him. "HIS PHONE IS OUT OF AREA! WAAAAAAAAAH!"

"What about MY phone? IT'S OUT OF SERVICE NOW! You broke it!"

Rude frowned and covered his ears. "Both of you just shut the FUCK up! Tired of hearing you both. God DAMN you bicker like two school children. I understand Reno doing it, but you're too loud." He eyed Yuffie. "Stop fuckin' with him. We'll take you back to Midgar when we leave so you can get into contact with someone that can get you back in touch with your boyfriend. But PLEASE try to get along with Reno, else I think I'm going to end up killing either a co-worker or you. And you don't want it to be you." He narrowed his eyes behind his sunglasses.

Reno scowled, red hair falling around his form as he curled up into a ball on his side. He felt like shooting her, most definitely. He wanted to put her out of his misery in more ways than one. A good strangling would be great. Then again, if he had a bottle of Sake or something he could easily drown the annoying voice out. He glanced over at her and raised a brow. _Might even make the proportions look better. _Smirking wickedly, he laid his head back down and closed his eyes. _Everything'll be better someday, neh? I just wanna stop aching. My stomach hurts._ Reno frowned as everything hurt.

Yuffie sniffled and sat down on one of the beds. She figured that it would be okay. Everything would be fine. She looked over at Reno as he laid there, his hair strewn across him like a flimsy blanket. _Everything's going to be okay, isn't it? I'll get away from them, I'll be back with friends. Everything is going to be okay. I mean, it could've been worse, right? I could've still been stuck out there without…Vinny…without food…without shelter. He found me… Didn't hurt me much. Much. _Yuffie scowled as she felt her ankle. She knew she would have to get ice on it soon else it would swell like a balloon._ I just wanna go home. Wutai, I wanna come hooooome to you. No one to go home with, though. Nothing. _Slowly, Yuffie closed her eyes as she barely saw the trembles that the red-head was going through.

**Later that night…**

Reno frowned as he felt his body tremble, the shock of withdrawals going through him like a terrible sickness. He felt like fresh shit, as he knew that his body was going to start trembling so badly he wouldn't be able to hold his electro-mag rod steady, muchless a switchblade or butterfly knife. Scowling, he tried to sit up, but his body trembled nonstop. He looked around. Everyone was in bed, the ninja laying across from his. Trembling as he tried to reach over for his ponytail holder, it dropped out of his grasp and tumbled across the floor, out of his reach. Curling up into a ball, Reno sighed and laid down again, trying to suffer through withdrawals. They made him wish he'd never touched drugs or alcohol. He felt eyes boring into his back, the Turk training teaching him to identify such a thing.

Turning over, he let his gaze pass over Yuffie, who was watching him. She looked confused at the shakes, but he didn't bother to explain. He gave her a cold glare, then turned back over, facing away from her. _Like she gives a fuck. No one but Rude and Elena give a fuck._ He felt like crying as he fell into a fitful sleep.

Things whizzed past Yuffie's mind as she watched the trembles get worse. She didn't know what to do for him, nor if it was anything actually wrong with him. She frowned, then closed her eyes to try and go to sleep, oblivious to all he'd gone through in the past. She figured she'd get over the feelings she'd felt when she looked at him, didn't really count on acting on them. What did it matter? She had Vincent, and that was all she needed. Right?


	12. KILL, RIP, TEAR, MAAAAAIM!

_I know that this chapter probably isn't as serious as the rest. If it seems odd, it's cuz I kinda felt odd about it. It's not one of my favorite parts of the story or the RP, though I have many. I don't know what I don't like about it, but I wanted to keep it as close as possible to the original RP. I have my reasons, sooooooooo... Why the hell am I complaining? Lol. The first bit as Reno wakes up was made up, since we never RPed it. So, R&R and be gentle with the flames._

Sure enough, Yuffie found that the trembles surely didn't get better. Frowning at the red-headed Turk as she rose early the next morning, she noticed that even in sleep the incessant shakes seemed to move the entire bed, causing him to clutch his stomach in his sleep. She blinked as he moved around and slowly opened his eyes, peering up at her sleepily. "Whaa?"

"Nothing. I was just looking."

He smirked. "Girls always want the Reno."

"What? I was just wondering why you were shaking like a leaf. I don't like stoners." She sniffed and shoved her nose up in the air as she turned away from him, walking out of the little 'bedroom' area, though it was by no means a bedroom, just four beds bunched together in a small area. She put her boots on in the living room area, which was also combined into a dining room and a lounge. She sighed and stared around at the things that furnished the small cabin. Sure, it was nice and cozy, but she would rather be out in the woods with her lover…right? She gave a growl of frustration as she looked over at Reno again. The red-head had lain down again and she sure as hell wasn't going to get him up.

Yuffie didn't have to make Reno get up. Rude yawned and rose from his bed only a few seconds later, leaving Elena where she had been, laying right next to where he was. Sliding up out of bed, he leaned over and put his shoes on, glancing over at Reno. He noticed the shakes, knew what it was and immediately knew he had to do something about it. Unfortunately, he knew Elena wouldn't approve one bit and that was a factor that made him cringe. He'd brought a bottle of Sake with him just in case something like that happened, but he didn't really expect to have to give it to Reno. He figured the kid would be just fine, shake like a leaf for a few days and then stop. Instead, it had been off and on, day in and day out. Rude hardly ever noticed it anymore, but that morning the shaking seemed different. Reno didn't usually have withdrawals in his sleep. "Ren? Wake up, kiddo. You need to get up and eat something, you're shakin' like hell."

"Mmm…? Ugn… No, don't wanna get up." Reno curled up under the covers, shoving his head underneath the pillows. The long red strands hung out from under the white cushion, draping over the side of the bed dramatically. Therefore, Rude reached over and gave a very impolite tug. "OW, GOD DAMNIT!"

"I live up to my name, right?"

"You sure as hell do, you fucker."

"Then why do you even stay around me?"

"I dunno. Free booze and stuff of the sort. Why shouldn't I?"

"Dunno. It beats me. Let's get up and get somethin' in your stomach, kiddo, 'fore you pass out."

Reno raised a brow. "Get what in my stomach? Wood or grass? There ain't shit in this cabin to eat, is there?"

"We've got a god damn freezer, you idiot. What, you didn't even look around the back of the house? This place has electricity. This place has a freezer and a stove, dumbass."

"Well fuck, I didn't pay attention. I was too busy trying to ward off ninja-girl over there. She wants my body, I swear to hell she does."

Rude snorted. "Reno, I've seen you so drunk that you think a piss ant wants your body. Have you been sneaking anything?"

"I swear I haven't!" Reno did the cross-my-heart-hope-to-die symbol, kissing his index finger afterward for emphasis. "I mean, how in the hell would I sneak anything? You patted me down before we came on the stupid ass trip."

"I didn't do a cavity search." Rude looked halfway amused.

"Approach me with white latex gloves and I'll fuckin' kill you. Ugh, you nasty bastard." Reno trembled slightly as he shifted around and picked up his ponytail holder from the floor. He raked his fingers through the long locks, sweeping them to the side as he arranged them as he wanted them. His ponytail was always simplistic, yet looked so dramatic. "Hair gel is your friend, m'man… Got any I could borrow?" He shot a huge grin at Rude, who didn't look amused. His bald head shined just as much as it had before. Reno gave a soft 'tsk' and winked. "Didn't think so, eh?" The 'good' mood he was in didn't fool Rude one bit, though.

"Reno, you still have to eat something."

"You can't make me! I refuse. I feel like shit right now, Rude. Can't I wait for lunch to eat?"

"No, because if you don't eat now I know you won't eat at lunch and then if you swear you'll eat at supper, I know you won't. Damnit, Reno, you gotta get back to normal. Don't make me shove food down your throat. Maybe having something in your stomach'll stop the withdrawals, or at least not make you shake as badly. Hell, you're gonna end up starving to death or worse." He looked worried. It almost made Reno want to eat. Almost. "Don't make me sit on you and shove it down your throat, you fucker."

"Pfft… I dare you."

"Never dare me, Reno. You're twenty-somethin' years old. I shouldn't have to hold you down and make you eat, but if I have to, I will to make you live another day."

"Damnit, you're too protective!"

Yuffie was sitting in the living room, completely ignoring the two. She was more concerned about what she'd felt. _God, I wish someone could get some peace around here. Stupid fuckers gotta talk too much, gotta sweep their hair around and look good. Stupid, loudmouthed little mother fucker. I want my Vincent, don't I? Yes, yes I do. I have to get to Vincent somehow. This is absolutely UNBEARABLE! _She shot a glare over in Reno's direction as he continued to argue with Rude about breakfast. _Why in the hell did HE have to find me? How come it couldn't have been Sephiroth's evil twin or even the bastard's spirit or something? Anything but him… Gotta get to Vincent somehow._

"I don't see where the stupid 'MOUNTAIN THERAPY' is workin' too much. I don't feel any happier. I don't feel all SMILES AND FUCKIN' SUNSHINE! I wanna go home and drown in my own misery until someone gets a clue and leaves me alone and then lets me cut my fuckin' wrists."

"You're a desperate little bastard, you know? Desperate for attention, desperate for help. And we're gonna help you, by the spirits!" Rude reached out for Reno, who definitely tried to get away. He snatched him by the ponytail, causing the younger man to yelp out in pain as he drug him toward the living room. "No matter what I gotta do, I ain't gonna let our leader die. Damnit, get a grip, you stupid fuck." He smacked Reno slightly too hard across the face, but it knocked some sense into the red-head.

"Fine! Just let GO! God DAMN you tug on my hair like it's a leash."

"It has the same effect as a leash, fortunately. I have a natural place to grab you instead of having to have a steel collar imbedded in your skin to clip a leash. Or would you prefer that?"

"I'd prefer you get your rough ass hands off me. I don't swing that way yet."

"Yet?" Rude raised a brow, starting to wonder. "Yeah, you definitely need somethin' to eat. You're startin' to mix up the meanings of your words and phrases. Come on, I won't let Elena near it. I'll cook for you if you want?"

"I don't want anything…"

"You're going to eat something. I'm going to give you one more chance, and if you don't choose what you're going to eat, then I'm going to pick something I like and I'm going to cook it the way I like it and then I'm going to hold you down and plug your nose until you eat it. Understand?"

"Fine… I want normal breakfast shit. Can we manage that, overlord?"

"I think we can underling. Now stop pouting and sit there like a good little Turk while I get things out of the freezer."

"Wait, eggs in the freezer?"

"I guess. I dunno. I have to see what's out there and then get what I judge to be normal breakfast. Sit tight."

As Rude headed out of the room, Reno looked over at Yuffie, very irritated. "What the hell are you staring at?"

She glared up at him from the table, narrowing her eyes. "I'm not staring at anything."

"Yes you were, you little lying Wutainese heifer. What, tryin' to size me up from peripheral vision? Pfft… I must say, if you're curious, just ask. I might give you a feel." Reno couldn't help but irritate someone. He smirked at her, feeling a slight adrenaline rush as he saw he was getting on her nerves.

"Leave me alone, you red-headed fuck."

"Whoa, whoa…someone's touchy, aren't they? What got stuck up your ass?"

"You keep messing with me, carrot top, and I'm gonna show you just what a ninja can do. All kawaii like, because I AM kawaii, and don't you forget it." Yuffie struck a pose, then got serious again, staring down at the table.

Reno rolled his eyes. _Man, this is gonna be one hella long day…_

**Later that day…**

Reno sighed as he picked at the blankets that he was sitting on. The thread was coming out slightly from where his fingers had run over it in nervous shambles so many times that day. He couldn't be still, was pretty much just a wreck as the others were kind of worried about him. Yuffie was walking around, just as irritating as ever. Rude and Elena acted like they enjoyed her, but Reno wasn't so sure what to think about her. _Chick's cute and chick don't even like me. What a disgrace. It's a pity that she can't realize just what LOVELY material I am to work with._ He snorted in disdain. _I mean, only gotta put up with the smell of Sake, right?_

"Reno, what the hell are you thinking of?"

"None of your business. Lemme alone."

"I suppose this won't change your mind?" Rude was standing not too far away, watching him as he rocked back and forth and stroked his fingers across the blanket. He pulled a dark-looking bottle out of a cloth bag he'd brought, shaking his head. Reno immediately noticed what the bottle was. "Yes, I know this is supposed to be your rehab. You're shaking too bad to be making any progress me and Elena both thought. Take a few shots to stop the shaking, why don't you?"

Reno stared at the bottle, knowing that it was his opportunity to drink himself stupid. Then again, weren't his friends trying to look after him? They wanted him to get better, and though he wanted to get seriously wasted, he did have a conscience. Rude watched him carefully, trying to decide what to do based on what he was going to do. "I dunno, Rude… I mean… I've been clean for a week, should I start again?"

"I said a few shots, not half the damn bottle. And not a quarter of the bottle neither. I trust you. We're counting on you to get better, Reno. Don't take advantage of the trust, okay, kid?" He handed the bottle over to Reno who slowly nodded.

_Now this is what I could do… I could go through rehab, just gimme a damn good supply of soda and a few shots of whiskey or Sake every now and again. I mean, wouldn't that be ideal? Just something to hold in my hand… Gotta have something to hold onto. _He walked over to the table and sat down, popping the seal as Rude walked out to talk with Elena, who was walking through the forest line and looking at the flowers. _Few shots, Reno… A few shots is all. That's all you need, okay? No more, no less. Three shots… Or two? Two and a half. Yeah, that's good. Don't need more than that. You're weak, but you're not that weak, right?_ Reno didn't even notice as Yuffie came skipping in.

He was still deliberating how many shots to take as Yuffie gasped at the bottle of liquor, then batted at it. Reno stopped thinking for a moment as he heard a shatter. Seconds ticked off the clock as he slowly turned around and looked up into Yuffie's face. "ALCOHOL'S BAD FOR YOU! None for you, mister." Reno's eye twitched, more than nervous shakes. "What? I'm doing that for your own good, and you know it! You're not supposed to be drinking."

"KILL!" He pounced at Yuffie and she squealed, diving away and then ducking out of the door. "GOD DAMN ANKLE DON'T LOOK SO BAD, YOU BITCH! YOU CAN RUN ON IT, CAN'T YOU?" Reno fumed as he felt the craving get worse. "Stupid bitch…" He almost wanted to weep. _Told you that you were weak. _"Shut the FUCK up!" He growled at his inner voice as suddenly he heard Rude and Elena talking louder than normal to communicate over the sound of a chopper. Reno smacked a hand to his forehead. "We can't even get away from ShinRa for two days before they're sendin' choppers after us."

**Thirty minutes later…**

"So how does this involve us?" Reno had turned business-like again, unlike he had months before when he was on the job. "Why did they send for us when it's just a gang?"

"Because it's one of those high-scale gangs. The one you were a part of. What was the name? Scrip-… Scrop-…"

"Scorpions. Very common name, fuck up. How could you get it mixed up with anything else?"

"My my, aren't we on our monthly today?" Rude raised a brow, then eyed Reno. "What'd you do with that bottle of Sake?"

Yuffie was nearby, squealing as she chased a bug around the room. "Dumbass over there shattered it." Reno pointed to the trash. "I cleaned the glass up."

"I'm surprised you didn't lick the floor, you know." The ninja girl stopped just long enough to add her input.

"Wow, thanks a lot, teeny-bopper. Now shut the fuck up." Reno growled his irritation as he looked back at Rude. "So what're we gonna do?"

"What do you think we should do, Ren? ShinRa called us back on duty, so we gotta go, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. We'll head back and exterminate 'em the best we possibly can. They're hard to get rid of. I mean, look at me. I can't even get rid of myself, so we know damn good and well it's gonna be a bitch to get rid of some of them."

Elena sighed and shook her head. "I wish you would stop talking about that, you know?" She smiled sadly at him. They bickered constantly, but they all had a way of caring.

"Whatever. Let's just get ready to head out, okay?"

Yuffie looked over at them. "I'm going, aren't I?"

"Do you think you should?" Reno shot her a poisonous glare that sort of made her duck her head.

"… Not really, I don't guess. You don't need me anyway, huh? I just slow things up. You can go ahead." She turned away and shuffled outside.

"Whatever…" Reno felt a tinge of guilt deep inside of his chest as he frowned. _Dumbass! Just screwed another girl over. Are you happy with yourself, you stoner? _"I'm not a god damn stoner!"

Rude stared at him oddly. "We didn't say you were, Reno… Are you okay?"

"I'm just fine, okay? Leave me alone." With that, they all turned to get packed and ready to head back to Midgar.

Yuffie had her own ideas and set of plans.


	13. Of Shock and Shocked

_Finally! Yes, I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I've been very busy. Finals come before stories, unfortunately. I've been RPing a lot with Becca, and I've got much more story left to write, so this isn't the end. Keep that in mind. Mwuahaha. Thanks to all that review, you give me the fuel to continue. R&R!_

Reno groaned as he headed toward the door of the cabin. It had already been noted that he couldn't exactly go against his conscience most of the time. And he didn't have a very big one, just enough to make him pity pretty girls and losers such as himself. Therefore, he found himself reluctantly heading out after Yuffie, to call her back inside. _Damnit, how come I can kill people when they're starin' straight up into my face, but I can't tell a girl to scram? I'm gettin' weaker. Damn, that's hard to do, you know?_ His shoulders slumped slightly as he walked up on the young ninja girl, who had her back turned to him. She sniffled, her shoulders shaking as she stared straight ahead, not looking back at the sound of him coming. Reno noticed a small moogle nearby, sniffing at her hand. Its pompom waved in the slight breeze that rustled through the forest. He knew he'd messed up somehow, just couldn't pinpoint exactly HOW. Sliding his hands into his pockets, he sat there and watched her for a short period of time.

The moogle twirled and danced, bouncing its pompom up and down to seemingly amuse the sniffling girl. Reno was always fascinated at how the creatures managed to not get eaten in the wilderness. Considering they looked like marshmallows to him, he was surprised that they existed at all. Most people only saw moogles in fairy tales, but he'd known they existed long before then due to some of the odd missions that he'd gone on throughout the world. People would be shocked and amazed at all of the shit he'd seen.

Yuffie turned slightly and gave a soft hiccup as she got up and dropped something on the ground. A red piece of materia, summon materia. Reno raised a brow as she simply walked off into the forest, leaving it for him to pick up. It was as if she'd lost her best friend, and he felt a strong surge of guilt as he leaned over and picked up the carefully tended piece of materia, weighing it in his hand. He knew it was powerful, and he knew that it was her prize, probably her Leviathan. Half of his mind told him to pocket it, yet the other half of him screamed to follow her. _Shut up, mind. I don't need you tellin' me what to do. **Oh, but you do. Don't forget I own you.**_A chill went up Reno's back as that second voice boomed through his mind, very much different from all of the rest that he'd ever heard. He tried to shove it out of his memory as he started to walk forward after Yuffie.

"Hey, Yuffie, uhm, you dropped your materia? You want it back?" Turning, the ninja girl was petting the moogle that had climbed up into her arms. She watched him for a few seconds before a broad smile broke out across her face.

"Sure I want it back. I left it to see if you would follow me, Turkey! WHEE! I'M WAAAAAANTED!" Reno felt his eye twitch as the girl dove at him and squeezed him, nuzzling her face against his chest. "So when do we leave, Renny-kun? Huh, huh?"

"Soon. Just get ready to go." He couldn't figure out why the girl's touch made him feel better about himself, but he found himself smiling as she drew away. She squealed and twirled again, then bounced off to go find Rude and Elena. Shaking his head, Reno lowered his gaze to the ground, still holding the soft smile on his face. "Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought? Meh… Sick." Shuffling off, Reno held his stomach as odd cramps started to roll through it. "Great, now all I need is to turn into a woman." My God, Reno, how do you foreshadow?

**Thirty minutes later…**

Rude was not a good driver. That was established by both Elena and Reno long ago, but Yuffie just served to really clarify that point. She squeezed the moogle that she'd picked up in the forest close to her chest as she stared at the back of Rude's head. It was absolute CHAOS. He was darting and swerving, taking curves at sixty and hitting things along the way. Reno was curled up in the fetal position on the back seat next to Yuffie, eyes closed and in a slight slumber. "How the fuck can he sleep through this?"

Elena was clutching the dashboard. "He's used to it. Reno drives worse, so trust me, I'd rather have Rude driving by far." Elena turned back around and winced as a tree swooped by, or rather, they came close to swooping down the side of a tree. The moogle was clutching on tightly to Yuffie, huge eyes as it stared at Rude's head. Elena stared back at it. "Its eyes are so human, aren't they? I halfway expect it to start talking at anytime."

The moogle shot her a glare that clearly said 'Dumbass'. "Who says I can't talk, you bimbo?" Elena paused for a moment as she stared at the moogle.

"It talked, Yuffie! IT TALKED!" She turned around as Reno woke up and glared at her. "RENO, THE FUCKIN' MOOGLE WAS TALKING!"

"I think you've gotten into my drugs again, babe."

"You jackass, IT TAAAAAALKED! YOU SHOULD'VE HEARD IT!"

Yuffie smiled down at the moogle. "Of course she can talk. Moogles are smart, isn't that right Andine?"

The moogle Andine nodded, pompom waving slightly. "I sure as hell can talk. Hmph." She surveyed her surroundings and watched as Reno slowly closed his eyes and went to sleep. "What's wrong with him?"

"Cramps and sickness. His stomach's used to being filled with alcohol, so now it's working against him. I almost feel sorry for him right now."

Yuffie yawned and started to pet Andine as she nestled up against the red-head. "Oooh, he's warm. I think I'ma go to sleep. Wake me up if we slam into anything, okay?" With that, she curled up against Reno and fell asleep, mewling softly.

Rude smiled. "So what do you think Reno's gonna do with the girl when he gets her back to Midgar?"

"Eh, they'll probably either part ways or become instant enemies. Well, worse enemies than they already are. I don't think they like each other."

Rude looked up into the rear-view mirror, grinning. "The way she's cuddled up against him I wouldn't say that." This caused Elena to twist around and get a good look at them. "They look mighty happy with one another right now. Reno needs a girlfriend, I think. Let's try to get 'em together, why don't we?"

"I don't know. I don't like the thought of that, because they might strangle one another in the night. Wouldn't want to bury another Turk now would we?"

"You may be right. I doubt Reno would hurt her, but she looks like she sure as hell would strangle him with his own intestines. You women give off that cute kinda deadly and it's scary as hell sometimes, you know? It's evil."

"We are not the cute kinda deadly. We're the beautiful kinda deadly and don't you ever forget it." She glared at him, then looked straight ahead. "OH GOD! RUDE LOOK OUT FOR THE CAAAAAAT! NUUUUUUUUU DON'T SQUISH IT!" (Disclaimer: No cats were harmed in the making of this fanfic/RP/oddity.)

Splat. "YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAARD!" It wasn't Elena who said it, though she was tearing up as she glared at Rude. Andine leapt for Rude's head. "Bald fucker! I KEEEEEEEL YOUUUUUUU!" Rude gasped and started to struggle to keep the moogle from scratching his head up as the car swerved left and right, finally coming to a stop at the side of the road. This caused the passengers to get thrown forward slightly, Reno bumping against the seat, Yuffie falling against him and Elena caught by the seat belt that she was thankfully wearing.

Reno opened his eyes slightly and groaned. "Yuffie, please get off… Hurts…"

Yuffie blinked and opened her eyes as she was still cuddling against his shoulder. "Nu, soft…"

"GET OFF!" Reno bumped her so hard that she was knocked back up onto the seat. "Rude, you careless fuck, why am I in the floor?"

"Cuz her dumbass moogle is scratching me. GET IT OFF!" The bald guy wailed and tried to get Andine loose from his forehead, only to find that the moogle was clinging on hard. Its little claws were pinpricked into his skin, clinging on for dear life. "Off, you BASTARD!"

"YUFFIE, HE SPLATTED A CAAAAAAT!"

Yuffie stared up at them then suddenly her eyes watered. Whimpering, she stared at Rude then burst into tears. "You hit a cat? HOW COULD YOU?" She wailed loudly, causing Reno to growl and curl up tighter in the floor. He felt like crying himself.

**Somewhere…sometime…**

_**Reno, sometimes I wonder about you.**_

_Huh?_

_**Lately, you seem to have gotten so weak against him. Why can't you fight anymore? Use alcohol and drugs to escape the problem? Child, you have to SOLVE the problem, not run from it.**_

_What the hell are you talking about and who are you?_

_**Don't worry about that right now. I just know that you need help. He's going to try and get out one day. You know who I'm referring to. You just don't know him by name. He is the voice inside of your head, the male one. He will be your demise and your rebirth.**_

_I don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about. Get outta my head!_

_**I don't know why you won't listen. You're stuck here for a little while, anyway. You need to listen to me. Pay attention, Reno. You're in trouble. You're in danger. You're in the hospital, did you know that?**_

_What? I am not, you stupid bitch. I'm headed back to Midgar with my friends…with Yuffie…and Elena and Rude… What happened? WHAT THE FUCK'S GOING ON?_

_**Please calm down. Just relax. Try to fight him. Fight against him, because he's going to gain control. Fight the sickness. Fight the depression and the anger. Please don't let him win, because when you do the entire world will collapse. Even in death, don't you dare give up. The world is depending on you for once, Reno Kisaragi.**_

_Why the fuck did you just call me that? Holy shit, WHAT? That's not my name. I don't have a last name._

**_You are Reno Kisaragi, whether you believe it or not. Believe in yourself and don't give in, whatever you do._**

_I… Don't know who you are… WAIT! DON'T LEAVE, I NEED YOUR HELP! NO!_

Blinding white light hit Reno straight in his eyes as he opened them. He saw a flash of Rude and a flash of Elena as they walked toward the hospital room. "Huh?"

They looked back at him, as if he was crazy. "Reno, are you all there? Come on, bud."

He heard Yuffie bouncing around next to him, giggling as she talked away to Andine. He drew his attention to his surroundings, noticing that it was indeed the white walls of a hospital, but not in the manner that he'd been led to believe he was in there for. They were walking toward a private room, and he knew that it had to be something mission-based. "Rude, what's all this about?"

Rude frowned and looked at Reno. "Rufus got shot while we were headed to Midgar. Weren't you listening? Damn, kid, keep your head on your shoulders." Frowning, he turned back around and continued on to the room.

Rufus shot? That was something new. Reno frowned as well when Rude opened the door. There in the bed lay the blond President, talking away to his current boyfriend, Reeve. The two looked like they weren't too happy and Reno didn't blame them. Rufus had IVs hooked up, probably some strong painkillers that would numb the throbbing pain that he felt through his chest. "Damn, how'd they get to him?"

Rufus looked up and glowered at Reno when he heard the red-head's voice. "Well I just felt like receiving a bullet in my chest and LET them in." The sarcasm dripped from his voice as he glared at him. "Why the hell didn't you designate people to act as my body guards while you were away? This is your fault!"

Reeve sighed softly. "Please be quiet, Rufus. They were away because they needed time to cope with something. It was a fluke in security. At least you're okay." He rubbed the blonde's shoulder as the young man continued to glare up at Reno.

Reno glared right back, shoving his hands in his pocket. "Well maybe if you wouldn't piss everyone off we wouldn't have to guard your little sissified ass every fuckin' second of the day. You're into too much shit, you little asswipe."

"Hmph… Who are you to tell me what I need to do and not? You're not exactly qualified for the position of President, seeing as how you can barely remember where you wake up sometimes, you inebriated slumrat."

"I remember where I wake up often enough. Fuck you if you don't approve of my 'habits'." Reno crossed his arms, glaring down at the younger man who was shifting in his bed. "Besides, it don't look like you're in the position to say anything about my drinking habits."

"I just don't want you fucking up when you're supposed to be guarding me. Now get your red-headed ass outside of my room and GUARD it like you're supposed to. Or I'll dock your pay more than Tseng did that time you TPed the executive mens' toilet."

Reno rolled his eyes. "I could've done MUCH MUCH worse, you know? I'm known for doing everything I do to the extreme, meaning that if you ain't prepared, then that's just too damn bad, ne?"

"Just GET OUT!" He looked like he was about to blow a gasket. Reeve reached around and stroked his lover's hair back out of his face, cooing softly to him to try to get him to calm down. Reno whirled and shrugged, walking out of the room to do as he was told. "My god, I can't get a peaceful moment's REST around here… What with smartass employees waltzing in and out of my room. You would think they OWNED ShinRa with the way they prance around."

"Love, just calm down. You need to be a little bit nicer to Reno and Rude. I mean, after all, they do hold your life in their hands more often than not."

"And what a lovely idea that is. They're screw-ups. They can't do shit right, Reeve. I wonder why we even keep them around."

"Because they are your right and left hands, correct? They do what no one else will do, including murders, kidnappings and bombings. Plus, they do as you say without question. They might give you grief now, but they're by far the most loyal employees you have. I'm just trying to figure out why you treat them the way you do, Rufus."

"Because they're nothing but dirt beneath my feet. They don't deserve to be in my presence. Why did Tseng recruit slumrats for Turks? That's something that father insisted on, but yet I never understood either."

Reeve sighed and held his head in his hands. The young man was a lot of trouble and always had to have an explanation for everything. "Reno knows the slums. Rude is a good fighter and he uses his bulk to throw our 'ideas' around. Elena… Is just Elena. She's the 'brains' of the Turks, though I'd probably say she's probably got as much sense and streetsmarts as a thimble." Reeve shifted around in his seat. "Just let them do what they do and get away with it, love. They've saved your life more than once."

**Outside the room…**

"I bet ten dollars we can shove an entire package of those tongue depressors up the little fucker's ass."

"I bet fifty you can't fit 'em in for the stick."

Reno and Rude grinned at one another, holding a stance on either side of the President's door. They knew that they had to guard him, because Reno had a good idea that whoever shot him would be back to finish him off. Then again, it wasn't exactly hard to imagine someone coming back to finish him. Hell, Reno wanted to finish him for them, but didn't have that option unfortunately. "So what do we do?"

"I don't know. I'm hungry. Wanna leave the blond bastard to fate and go get some food?"

"Not really. Cuz just as sure as we leave, he'll get killed."

"Damn, what a tragedy."

"I'm tellin' ya. Midgar might even wail in despair for lack of their beloved President." Reno barely got the last word out before he heard glass shattering. It flew everywhere as bullets started to rip through the vicinity. Groaning, Reno reached into his suit jacket for his gun as another bullet whizzed past his head, shattering the window. He heard Rufus screeching something and Reeve dropping down in the room. "Boy, don't this seem familiar?"

"The bastards are feelin' lucky today, aren't they Ren?"

"I guess so. Let's finish 'em off and then go get somethin' to eat. I'm tired of playin' with people."

The two Turks stepped forward into the fray, lifting their guns. Unfortunately, they weren't as fast as they believed themselves to be. Reno's head spun as he was suddenly knocked for a flip. He felt the blood splatter on his face before he felt the pain of the shoulder wound, but he attempted to ignore it. Several more bullets ripped through his body as he attempted to turn around. He finally hit the ground and raised his gun, taking careful aim. On instinct, he pulled the trigger, the nearest teenager that was firing at them screaming and dropping, blood splattering against the wall.

Somewhere to Reno's right, he heard Rude shooting, but couldn't make out what he was saying. Somehow, he remembered Yuffie through it all. _I wonder if she's safe… Damn, I screw up a lot, don't I? _Reno didn't remember anything but red and black as he passed out, blood pooling around his body. Little did he know, people were freaking out over him.


	14. You Baka

"Reno?"

"Reeeeeeeno! Wake up, you baka!"

"Reno, c'mon, wake up. Man, gotta wake up."

Pulled and twisted out of the comforting dream he'd been enveloped in, Reno reluctantly opened his eyes. Staring at the ceiling of a hospital room, he could faintly hear doctors around him, nurses trying to take care of him as well. Whimpering, he tried to shut his eyes again, only to hear Yuffie's voice calling out to him. "Renny-kun! Chu scareded me!"

The doctors chuckled as he woke up. "He's going to be alright."

"Just a bullet wound, eh, Ren?" Rude grinned down at him as Andine bounced around and around. The little moogle squeaked something and then suddenly there was a loud explosion of power. There, where she stood was a little girl. "DAAAAAAADDY!" She glomped Rude's leg and just beamed. And, since Reno woke up to all of this, he simply assumed that he was out of his mind for a few seconds.

"So what the hell happened?"

"Lots of shooting, lots of bleeding, lots of hurting. Stuff like that, you know?" Rude nodded at this as he stroked Andine's hair. "Oh, and the moogle turned into a girl and the girl clings to me. I don't know about this moogle. I think we got a strange one."

Andine giggled up at them. "Nah uuuuuh! I'm a special moogle and you're my daddy now!" Twirling, she started to dig through her pockets. She actually found something edible. "Oh mah GAWD! GRANOLA BAAAAAR!"

Reno sweatdropped, as did Rude and Yuffie. "Anyway… Reno, I'm going to get some coffee or something. I'll be back soon." Turning, Yuffie walked out of the hospital room and then turned down the corridor, headed toward the cafeteria. The only problem was, someone grabbed her shoulder and snatched her back.

"Yuffie? Are you okay?"

She looked back and what she saw shocked her. Vincent was standing there, looking very disheveled and very impatient. His red eyes looked pained and insane, which made her alarmed. "I-I'm okay. How did you get here, Vinny?" Her stomach sank down to her knees as she saw him. Suddenly, she got very worried about her red-headed friend's safety.

"Because I've been looking for you. Why are you here looking after the Turks?"

"B-because they found me and brought me back… And R-reno-"

"Reno what?" A flare of anger washed through his eyes as he looked at the small woman. "What did he do?"

"I f-fell in l-l-"

"You did what now?" Vincent's eyes widened as he stared at Yuffie. "That fast? How? You didn't care for me!"

"I mean… He took care of me, and they took care of me, and he needs someone to take care of him and…"

"In other words, that's why you hung up the phone?"

"N-no, I dropped the phone just as you picked up and-"

"That's the reason. Because you're in love with another man. DESPAIR!" Vincent almost seemed to wail at the thought. The poor thing was driven insane by love. "Oh, the wilds of the wind, the playing sands of tiiiiime!"

(Note: author is having fun with this. Vincent isn't nearly this flowery and dramatic in the RP. Okay, back to the chapter.)

Yuffie sweatdropped and tried to pull away from him again, successfully breaking his hold. Vincent stalked off with his head hung down as she walked back toward the hospital room. _Oh mah gawd, oh mah gawd… He's going to kill Reno when he gets hold of himself. He's going to blow his fuckin' brains out and I'm going to have to CLEAN 'EM OFF OF THE WALL AND SAVE THEM TO CUDDLE AT NIGHT!_ Yuffie wailed mentally as she stepped into the room and glanced at the red-head and his friend. "R-reno, we have a little problem."

"What is it?" He glanced up at her, a smile on his face.

"S-see, Vincent's back and he isn't too pleased because… Well, cuz he ain't too pleased and see, he's very very angry and… Well, he's probably going to make an attempt at your life."

Rude and Reno's jaws both dropped as they stared at her. "Do what now?"

"See, I'm in love with Reno… and Vincent knows that now… And he's going to try and kill Reno and-"

"Whoa whoa! Wait, whoa, hold on. You, in love with me?" Reno's eyes shimmered with disbelief. "Really?"

"Yah huh, and now Vincent's gonna kill you and I don't know how to stop him and then he's probably going to steal me and run away with me and… Oh…" Yuffie sniffled as her eyes started to tear up.

Reno blinked, not knowing what to say at first. "I mean… I guess I love you too a little bit, but what are we gonna do?"

"I don't kn-know, but he's going to KILL YOU!" Wailing loudly, she dove at the bed and clung to Reno, sniffling and bawling. "And he's going to kill you and I'm going to have to bury you and then he's going to carry me away and then he's going to cuddle me and probably make me do evil things with him AND I DON'T WANNA GO WITH HIM CUZ I WANNA STAY WITH YOU AND EVERYTHING IS MESSED UP NOOOOOW!" Rude, Reno and Andine sweatdropped.

"Whoa, whoa… Slow down, Yuffie." Rude stepped forward. "Nothing is going to happen, because we won't let the vampire touch him. Elena and me would guard Reno with our lives. Nothing is going to happen."

Yuffie sniffled as she looked up at him. "S-see, you don't understand. Vincent's a lot more powerful than you and Elena and Reno, and he's a lot more powerful than me. See, he's a lot better than I am at fighting and I was one of the best, and now he's going to come after us all. He'll squash us all into the ground and there won't be anything that we can do about it because he'll have the upper hand."

Reno rolled his eyes. "I'll kick his ass. There ain't no problem with it."

"No you won't kick his ass, cuz he'll kick yours, you baka."

"Ah… You doubt me?"

"Of course! Cuz he's going to SQUASH you, dumbass. He squashes everything else in his path, so why not you? Not like he would have a problem with it."

"Meh, we'll think of something, won't we?"

Rude sighed and nodded, then looked around. "Someone needs to call Elena and make sure she's safe. I think I'm gonna go handle that." He stepped out of the room to make the call to ShinRa Headquarters, where she'd gone to work a little bit.

"Yuffie?" The girl turned to look at whoever was calling her name. Reeve stepped into the room and tilted his head. "You know, Vincent looks a little pissed off… Could you tell us why?"

Yuffie's heart sank again. "Oh, cuz of a lot of stuff, and-"

"He's muttering to himself, m'dear. About shooting someone and revenge. Don't you think you need to go see about him?"

"I know who he's going to shoot and I probably won't be able to stop him."

"Oh…" Everyone hung their heads, at a loss of what to do. Little did they know, Vincent was planning something worse than what they could imagine.

**To be continued.**

_I wants to thank some people. I don't usually do this at the end of a story, but there are a lot of people that made this possible. Not that I can remember everyone's pennames, but you know who you are. Lessee… **Matron Raenee**, I owe the most to. See, she's the girl that RPs Yuffie (and Vincent…and Andine). Without her help, this chapter wouldn't have been completed. Cuz me, forgetful as I am forgot what happened. Soooooooooooo… Tank chu. –Huge grin-_

_**LadyTwist**, thank chu very much for reviewing and giving me your thoughts and opinions on this story. They mean much to me and I look up to you, as you already know. –Hug hug-_

_**Jasmine32**, big sister, you're a very loyal reviewer and I'm happy to thank you. I enjoy RPing with you and interacting with you on a daily basis. Indeed, you fuel my creativity and my insanity day in and day out, especially when we RP until 7 AM in the morning._

_To everyone else not mentioned that have reviewed and those I talk to almost every night, thank you very much. If not for all of you poking at me to update, I probably wouldn't. Okitay. Enjoy!_


	15. Goodbye To You

_This is a short chapter, but it's near the middle of the RP. I'm starting to lose interest, so I'm trying to finish it while I still have the storyline fresh in my memory. Everyone that knows me knows that I can forget something in the blink of an eye. So please forgive me if it's not exactly what you expected. The original RP was very good, I assure you, but only because of Becca. Anyway, here you go. I'm going to try to update more frequently now that I'm in school. R&R!_

"So WHERE are you wanting me to send you?"

"Wutai. Didn't you listen to me the first time, baka?"

"So you want me to send two of my best Turks to Wutai just so that they can avoid a killer vampire that they should've killed in the first place?" Rufus looked very annoyed as people stood around his hospital bed talking about what they had to do and what they didn't have to do. "I don't see the connection. See, why don't you just KILL him and get him out of our hair? Reno, are you that much of a pussy that you can't kill one man?" He shot Reno a glare.

Reno glared right back. "It's not about bein' a pussy or not. It's about not bein' able to, you little spoiled blond fuck. And if you call me that one more time, I'm going to shove that ventilator so far up your ass that you'll be able to breathe underwater."

"Oh be quiet, both of you." Reeve frowned as he traced a hand over Rufus's face, trying to get him to quiet down. "Arguing isn't going to help any of this. We're just going to have to send them to Wutai. You don't want any of my friends hurt, do you, Rufus?" He gave Rufus a face that he knew he wouldn't be able to resist. "They're my friends, and I don't like the thought of any of them getting hurt. Especially my best friend… I don't want Yuffie unhappy."

Rufus had to think all of five seconds before he finally gave over to Reeve. "Fine. I'll let you go to Wutai. But you don't get yourself killed, maimed, shot, thrown off buildings or any of that other crap. I need you intact, because who else is going to throw themselves in front of oncoming bullets for me? Now get out of my sight before I change my mind."

Yuffie had to drag Reno away before he said something that she knew he would enjoy.

**Later that evening…**

"So how're we getting to Wutai?"

"I told you, stupid, we're taking a boat. It's as simple as that."

"Wait, no it's not. Cuz… If we take a boat, it's going to take a shitload of time to get there. And I don't like boats, they make me sick." Reno frowned. "Please don't make me take a boat."

Elena sighed. "God damnit, Reno. You're going to have to get there one way or another." They were pacing around Reno's apartment after he'd been released from the hospital. At least the bullet wounds hadn't been that severe, else he would've been forced to stay there at least a week or more. He was thankful for some things at least. "Either you're going to have to take a boat or you're going to have to take an airship. Would you rather be airsick or seasick?"

"I don't WANNA!" He wailed and whined and sulked, but Elena left to go make reservations for a ship to take them to Wutai anyway. "Stupid Elena." All the while he was poking his bottom lip out. "Why do we have to go to WUTAI OF ALL PLACES?"

Yuffie sighed as she glanced at Reno. "I don't like ships and boats anymore than you do, but we have to get there somehow, Reno. We just have to suck it up and go along with it, okay? She's going to get us a good place. She's probably gone to the hospital to speak with Rufus about reserving a boat. I just hope we can get there before Vincent finds anything out, you know?"

"I don't care if he finds something out. I just don't wanna go. Cuz it's going to be hot and stuffy and sick and nasty. Do we HAVE to?"

"Yes. Shut up Reno."

Therefore, the day passed slowly. Reno spent his time packing and complaining. Yuffie spent her time correcting Reno about his complaining and packing. Rude just hovered around, waiting for Elena to come back from speaking with Rufus. "I wish she didn't take so long, you know? Makes me think something's happened to her."

"Well, you know the lover's intuition, don't you? Do you feel like anything's wrong with her?"

"Not really. I'm just scared she might run into Vincent or something, and we all know we don't want that to happen."

"That's true. But hey, look at the bright side. At least we're going to leave mainland soon and then we won't have to deal with Vincent being around."

"How do you know he won't follow us to Wutai instead of staying on the mainland?"

"Well there isn't any way to know that he won't follow us, but instead of worrying about it, we should spend most of our time getting ready for him should he CHOOSE to follow us to the island."

"Meh. I still don't like the idea."

"Well Reno, you don't like many ideas that are proposed that have to do with boats and other various traveling things like that."

"So sue me! I don't like boats. Wah… Do we have to?"

"YES! Now shut up!"

"Hey, do you hear something funny?" Rude looked around at the walls. "It seems to be a lot of wailing and stuff going on."

"I don't hear anything. Big guy, I think your hearing has gone to shit."

"No it hasn't. Just fucking listen! It sounds like someone screaming, only it's coming from the walls."

Outside, Vincent sighed as he stared at the apartment. "Stupid mortals. Mwuahah. I shall now get my revenge, and you shall all perish in the dark wrath of the immortal LOVE! YUFFIE WILL BE MINE, MWUAHAHAH!" He swished his cloak dramatically and tiptoed up to the apartment. "The dark spirits shall collect and envelope my enemies, leaving my one and only true love just for me!"

Reno blinked as he stared at the walls. They'd already started to waver, as if they were going to collapse and fold around the three friends. "Whoa… The walls are fucking moving. Is that…bodies?"

Rude, Reno and Yuffie stared in horror as the walls slowly started to take the form of living beings. It was as if human bodies were imbedded into the wallpaper, the outline and form and exact silhouettes of so many people coming alive. "Whoa, that's freaky."

"What the hell is that?"

"Fuck, I don't know, but let's get the hell outta here!"

Reno made a break for the door, but found that his only escape was locked. "How in the hell is the door locked from the outside? It doesn't even have that capability!"

Vincent cackled with glee as he waited and listened to the three inside. "Like flies in my web. Delicacies, tender morsels of the flesh. You will bend to my wrath and you will perish if you don't give me my dearest!"

"That crazy bastard Vincent is doing this, I bet you. Just to fucking scare us."

"Why would he do that? Can he command spirits?"

"Shit, he looks like a necromancer, acts like a necromancer… Smells like dead bodies. Must be a fuckin' necromancer. Why do we have to worry about it right now, though? We just need to worry about getting' the fuck outta here." Reno looked seriously creeped out as arms of white mist started to grope out toward him, attempting to grab his arm.

"Seriously fucking creepy. Rude, can't you break out a window or break the door down or something?" Yuffie stared at the windows as the blinds slowly shut on their own, as if a ghost had snatched the shades down. "OH MUH SPIRITS, WE'RE GOING TO DIE IN HERE!" She grabbed Reno and shook him as hard as she possibly could. "Reno-kun! We're going to die and people aren't going to find our bodies! WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE GOING TO DO?"

"Calm down! Do you hear that?"

All three were quiet as they heard a soft laugh, as if from a woman. It rose and swelled, warbling over the moans and cries of the undead that continued to reach, proving to be a small comfort in the dank depths of the doomed apartment. "What is that?"

"Sounds like… A woman. Are the spirits going away?"

"It looks like it. Look, they're sinking back into the wall!"

"God damn, I couldn't be happier for 'em to. Just go away, ghosties!"

Vincent scowled outside. "Lucrecia? Impossible. You're gone. Long gone and you care not for me. If I cannot have my revenge this way, then I'm going to have to find a way, aren't I?" Turning, he released his dark hold on the apartment and marched straight away toward the hospital.

Inside, Rude frowned. "So what do you think just happened?"

"We dunno big guy, ain't no way of knowing. We just gotta figure out what the hell to do to make sure it don't happen again."

"That makes sense. So… What the hell do we do to keep it from happening again?"

"We need to get to Elena and make sure she knows about this and is ready to go to Wutai. We need to leave today, cuz that seriously freaked me out."

Rude got very quiet all of a sudden. He frowned as he stared at the walls, pushed his sunglasses up off of his eyes and glanced at Yuffie. "You don't think that maniac would go after Elena, do you?"

"Why would he? He doesn't even know Elena?"

"Well he's most certainly seen us together before. It's not like he's completely ignorant of her presence. He's seen her traveling with me through Midgar, he's seen us together when we were working against AVALANCHE. Why would he not suspect that we're together and then try to get back at us all?"

"That makes sense. But I don't think he would really target her."

"I sure hope not…"

**In the hospital…**

"Reno, I swear to everything that if you're fucking with me I'm going to be-" Elena turned and saw eyes, but not the ones she'd counted on. Staring into deep red eyes, she tried to back away a few steps, but Vincent's firm grip stopped her from moving very far. "Let go of me." She tried to snatch away, but alas, it was almost as if his grip was iron. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Getting revenge, m'dear. Oh my, whatever will they do when they find your dead body, hm?" Vincent raised the gun and pointed it at Elena's head, then pulled the trigger. The shot was heard all around the hospital, and people started to run and duck for cover again as Elena's knees gave out and her dead body dropped to the floor. Blood pooled all around the body, metal shoes reflected in the crimson shine as Vincent merely stepped over and made his way to the exit.


	16. And So We Keep Marching

_Yeah, I know it's been a long time. School's evil, you know? Just when you think you know something, you find out that you're going to have to work your ass off to get a program to run. Anyway, I've decided to update. The end is near and I'm going to try and continue on in the normal fashion (meaning, I'm gonna try and update more. Not making promises due to school, though.) Anyway, this takes us through Elena's funeral and the thoughts and events afterward, before they head to Wutai. Enjoy and R&R if you're still interested._

The gentle rain streamed down, silhouetting the simple elegance of the funeral procession taking place. Heads bowed, hands behind their back, the two Turks stood there as solemn as the slow and gray drizzle that was filtering down on their suit jackets. Rude peered down at the coffin through his sunglasses, as always. It wasn't as if he had an occasion not to wear them. It was his girlfriend being buried after all. Reno stood stock still next to him, his sunglasses over his face as well. That was something new to see. Usually, he simply wore them to get laughs from girls. He had a solemn occasion to wear them that day. Standing not too far away, Yuffie stared with her hands behind her back, just kind of feeling sorry for them all.

"She didn't live that long."

"Did you really expect her to? She worked with us. You expected her to live past the age of twenty nine?"

"Nah, I didn't really. Only reason I lived this long is cuz of friends takin' care of me, you know? I shoulda been dead months before if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, but we had a duty to take care of you. We couldn't lose another one. It would be a loss if we lost another Tseng."

Reno glanced up at him through the sunglasses, water beading and dripping down the shadowy lenses. "What do you mean another Tseng?"

"I mean… Well, you have some of the same qualities at Tseng; you're just a lot more extreme than he ever thought about being. It's something that comes with the work that you do, I guess. Is it a coping mechanism or do you do it just to be cute?"

"I don't know anymore. I guess I just do it to do something. You always have to have a way to cope in this business; else you're going to find a grave really fast. I mean, you cope in a different way. You humorless bastard. You don't think anything's funny, do you?"

He looked at Reno, a wan smile coming over his face. "Nah, buddy. I don't find today funny at all, nor have I found the last week or so funny. It's all been a huge nightmare that I can't wake up from. It's like everything is just crumbling down on me, and I can't escape from it. No matter where I go, things seem to lead to a dead end."

"That's how it feels most of the time, right? We've been through a lot of stuff together and we've always pulled through. Can we really do it this time? I mean, she was the life, she was there; she knew what she was doing. She kept us on track, Rude. It seems like everything isn't going to be alright this time, but we gotta move on. Wutai's waiting for us. If we make it to Wutai, maybe we can forget about the past. Isn't that what we wanna do? Forget the past and move on? I know I wanna."

"We can't leave Rufus here alone, Reno. We got clearance to go, but we gotta come back eventually. If we don't, we'd be lettin' Elena down and that's the last thing that I wanna do. I told her that I would look after things, no matter what." Tears came to his eyes behind the sunglasses, though Reno couldn't exactly tell. "We were going to have a family and we were going to move up in rank together. Heh. We were going to buy a nice little summer flat in Costa del Sol so that we could move into it when we got finished with all of our little gangster business. When we got enough money, we were gonna raise some kids, too. Gonna name you the godfather. Now it's gone."

"Nothin's ever completely gone. I don't think she'd want you to angst the way you're doin' right now, big guy."

"What else am I going to do?" Rude shifted, his polished black boots squishing in the grass that was under their feet, sweeping everywhere like a beautiful emerald carpet. They'd decided to bury Elena far away from Midgar, far away from the dank and desolate place. Rude had said he didn't want her to be lonely in the forgotten mire of the slums. Her spirit was probably grateful. "There's nothing else to do right now but move on and hope that I can pick up the pieces. If I don't make it, then I don't make it. I don't really care anymore, bud."

With those words said, the two turned back to watch the casket being lowered into the ground, their best friend lying inside clutching the necklace that Rude had bought her only a few weeks before.

**The next day…**

"So what do we do?" Reno was talking to Rude, trying to size up the situation. "Not like we can just stay here for you to grieve, bud. I know it's hard, but we're going to try and help you get through this. I'm really sorry it happened."

"…"

"Rude, you gotta talk to us." Reno frowned when Rude shoved him away and sort of turned to the wall. He had on his normal blue uniform as if he was going to be staying at work the entire day. "You even dressed in uniform? We're leaving today and you don't know what to dress in? Your mind ain't that dazed, is it?"

"Just lemme alone, Reno."

Yuffie blinked as she watched the two interact. "It'll be okay eventually, Rude. I know it seems really really hard right now, but I-"

"Shut up." Rude walked off to go get his final preparations done.

Glancing over at Yuffie, Reno shot her a look that clearly said he was irritated. "I know he's hurting and all, but we got things to do, things to protect, things to get away from. If he doesn't watch himself he might end up dead like Elena. I don't want Vincent taking the last friend that I have away from me, you know?"

"I know. I'm really sorry that this happened. I didn't think Vincent was going to go off the deep end, if you know what I mean." Andine was relaxed on Yuffie's lap, curled up and sleeping. She made soft snoring sounds as she nestled her head against the ninja's leg.

"Yeah, you can never really tell when they're going to go loony, can you? I mean, if the guy's so possessive of you that he's out for blood, there's something wrong upstairs."

"He used to say that he loved me no matter what, and he'd protect me and have me in the end. Reno… I'm scared he's going to kill you."

"I'm telling you, everything's going to be fine, Yuffs. We just gotta get away from him. If he follows us to Wutai, then everything is going to go south from there. Main idea is to keep him away from you so that he can't hurt you."

"What about you, Reno? He's not out to kill me yet. He's out to kill you and grind you into the dust like a cigarette butt. He wants to snuff the freakin' life out of you."

"Doesn't matter what he tries to do to me, I'm only worried about what he's going to do to you."

"How… I mean… Bah. We'll get there safe, right?"

"Sure will. You just have to keep up hope, even though ours was laid down in the ground yesterday."

Both were silent as they waited for Rude to make haste and get his things together, Reno staring out of the window, Yuffie stroking little Andine's pompom.


	17. Lady Death, Take Me Home

_This is the last chapter of Poser Fashion. A lot of things have happened in the time frame when it was started to now. Lots of things with my personal life and a lot of things in the story. This isn't even half of the story, but it stops here. I have to dedicate this to Becca. Without you I wouldn't have had the drive to finish this story. Depends on whether you think it's a good or a bad thing. Good luck with your life._

"Are you sure about this?"

"Sure I'm sure. He's really safe, Reno. You don't even have to worry about it. Cid is the safest airship pilot that you could ever find."

"How come I don't exactly trust him, then?" Reno, Yuffie and Rude were walking toward the airship that had landed. Of course, due to Yuffie's connections with the old gang, they were allowed transportation. "Why can't we take one of the company helicopters?"

"Because this is easier, and besides, Vincent won't think to look at Cid. I mean, why would he look at one of his best friends to see if he took us all the way to Wutai?"

"Because he's smart?"

"Shut up, Reno." She smacked him across the back of the head, then reached up and stroked Andine's head.

"WHEN ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE?"

"Ow… I don't know. If Cid's really fast, we should be there within the next hour or so."

"CAN I HAVE CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANDY?"

Reno and Rude both winced and glanced at the moogle, who by the way had changed back into a little girl. "Kid, if you're quiet I'll give you a whole lot of candy when we get to Wutai."

"Really?" Andine's eyes lit up when she heard that. "Okay! I'll be really quiet, okay Mister Rude?" She pounced from Yuffie's shoulders onto Rude's. Snuggling against his head, she scuffed the top of it with her sleeve. "Hey, mister Rude, can I call you daddy? I'll shine your head for five gil?"

Rude growled and swatted at the child, causing her to squeal and clutch at his forehead to keep on his shoulders. The two beings struggled and fought all while they were boarding the airship, Andine accidentally poking Rude in his eyes. Hilarity ensued.

**And so…the airship takes off.**

Reno stared over the edge of the airship, down toward the water that they were flying over. He had his head rested against the side rail that kept anyone that was about to fall over from doing just that. Falling over. Not that it would help him. He was just stupid enough that he might fall over the railing anyway. Exhaling sharply, the young man peered up toward the sky. Leery of the things happening around him, Reno clutched the rail. Was it really going to work out with Yuffie? He doubted. Things were going on at a fast pace. He didn't know if he could handle losing another friend or lover. What happened if she left him too? It would be much more than he could possibly stand. Turning on his heel, Reno stepped toward the cabin of the Highwind, not even noticing the movement out of the corner of his eye.

Pausing, Vincent glared at him from the front of the Highwind. "Thank you, Cid. You did very well… Woe is you, my red-headed friend. You shain't have that which is not yours. She is mine and I shall have her in death before you have her in life." The gothtastically dressed man stepped toward Reno just as he got to the door. Gun poised to shoot; Reno was JUST able to catch sight of him in the red clothing. Stepping back, Reno reached around for his gun only to find three bullet holes in his chest. Gasping for air, he stepped back a few paces and then hit the railing. Sinking to his bottom, he paused there for a few seconds.

"Y-you can't have her. She's mine… She's devoted to ME!"

"Wrong. She'll be devoted to me in death." He stalked toward the cabin, stepping inside slowly. Cid merely lowered his head toward the front of the ship, not saying a word.

Inside, Yuffie was humming as she thought of the glorious life that they would have together. Beauty and glamour awaited her and Reno, most surely, right? She purred and twirled on the spot, picking up a kimono that she had packed in one of her suitcases. Holding it up to the light, she smirked as she noticed that she could see through it. Nice and slinky, just for a devoted red-head, right? Just as she lowered it, she heard a click directly behind her. Turning a half-step, she noticed the shiny black barrel of a gun that she'd seen pointed at monsters many times. "Your time is up, my love. Go join the Lifestream and wait for me. I shall come when it is your time." Yuffie counted her breaths as she stared down at the barrel of the gun. Her brown eyes peered up at Vincent, then down at it again. She did the only thing she could think to do. Flinging herself at the man, she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him on the lips. It would stop him from killing her, right?

Reno stumbled into the cabin right at that moment. Vincent had his lips slathered all over Yuffie's, kissing with a passion that only two lovers could possibly share. Reno stared in hurt, his heart pounding in pain as he tried to stop the flow of blood slowly gushing from his chest. However, he let his hands drop. Nice to die, but what the hell? He'd take someone down with him. Reno charged toward Vincent, but not before the troubled-looking man did the ultimate. Raising the gun, Vincent shot Yuffie in the side of the head just as they finished kissing. Her body dropped like a sack of frozen chocobo bits, clunking dully on the floor as blood and brain matter dribbled from the nice-sized hole in her temple. Vincent then turned the gun on himself, splattering his own brains out against the wall.

**Many months later…**

Reno stared down at the bottom of the glass as his finger traced the rim. Lost and desolate, so alone, he had wandered back down the path of drug-use and alcohol abuse. Who could blame him? He most certainly didn't blame himself. Shrugging, he turned away from the bar after he patted his pockets and determined that he had no more money. Stepping toward the door, he felt of his other pocket to make sure that it was still there. Surely, he could make sure that he did this right at least…right? Reno turned when he exited the door, pausing only to check for his lighter and a few other things. Sighing softly, he walked toward the alleyway of the rundown bar. _I got nothin' else. Let's see if it's as bad as they say it is, huh?_ Reno stepped up to the edge of the building and dropped to his knees. Flopping over onto his bottom, he pulled out the last bottle of pills that he'd gotten a month before to fight off an infection that he'd suffered from the bullet wounds. He stared at them for the longest time, the light green pills' coating shining in the dim lights of the neon signs overhead. Without a second thought, Reno tipped his head back and took as many pills as he could possibly swallow in one gulp. He coughed sharply, the dry pills getting caught about halfway down his throat. _Won't take long now. Let's go… Lady death, take me home. Take me home and let me win the battle. I faced my fear. I lost my war. It is what it is, take me home…_ Those were his last thoughts as his mind clouded, jumbled up in the haze of memories. There, Reno passed away without anyone noticing or missing him. As the cold clammy hands of death clapped around his heart, he remembered the last thing he'd seen of Yuffie. That fateful kiss that had sealed her fate.


End file.
